Parallel Hearts
by Whisper-of-Warning
Summary: Clary is a human, at least, she thought she was. But one night changes it all, thrusting her head-first into a world that she thought only lived in her mind. Where creatures that lurk only in the most sinister of corners dwell and where angels spread their wings and fly. Clary has unknowingly stepped right into the middle of a war and she is their most powerful weapon. New Sum.
1. Say No, I Dare You

**Hey, everybody! Don't worry I'm still writing Demolishing the Social Pyramid but I'm having a little writers block on how our little gang of rebels is going to get revenge! It's the most important part of the story I know! And I really want to make you all proud, I don't want to let you down with a really stupid and poorly constructed revenge tactic. So I'm determined to make it work. In the meantime, while I'm plotting what to do, I'm going to keep you entertained with a story I wrote and finished a long time ago but never thought it was good enough for fanfiction. **

**Anyway a short preview is this whole story is sort of my own warped version of Mortal Instruments. Our characters are a little older and the plot is changed but it's the same love fest of awesomeness.**

**I do not own any of the Mortal Instruments or any of it's characters. All rights go to Cassandra Clare. BUT if I did own the Moral Instruments I would trail after a rain storm then when a rainbow appeared I would hunt down where the end was and catch the leprechaun on the end and steal it's pot of gold and in exchange for it's treasure I would ask for one wish. And with my one wish I would put myself and all my family and friends in the Mortal Instruments too! AND THAN JACE WOULD BE MINE!**

**Ahem...anyway I hope you enjoy :)**

* * *

Clarissa Fray furrowed her eyebrows as she concentrated on the many medical definitions in front of her. How she was suppose to write a term paper on it, she had no idea. Especially with her mind thinking of only how much damage Simon Lewis and Maia Roberts were probably causing to their three bed room apartment. A small smile graced her face then, thinking of her two friends covered in flour, for she was no doubt going to walk in on them baking, one of Maia's favorite pass times.

The fight would have been started by Simon coming in and eating some of Maia's batter, one of Simon's favorite pass times, and Maia would retaliate by throwing flour in his face. Simon would counter act the attack, when he whipped some flour back at her. Then Clary would walk through the door and they would turn to her, smile, and bring her into the fight. And, of course, she could not resist but to join.

Well, the term paper was not getting any closer to getting done even after leaving her apartment and going into the library, for the peace and tranquility. To escape her friend's loudness and just focus, but as always they followed her, without even meaning to, they followed.

Clary closed her medical book and walked toward the front doors, it was beginning to become chilly in the state of New York, the bipolar state. Frost crusted car windows and laced the grass. Clary always loved the beginning of winter when the first snow fell and no one had walked on it yet. To her it looked like another place, and she never felt more at home.

The walk home wasn't long, but long enough to make her face numb and her nose and cheeks to turn red. So when Clary actually walked through her front door and was hit with a blast of heat that made her bright red hair fly backward, she sighed in relief. She was then hit with the scent of cookies, and the sound of laughter. She shook her head while smiling; sometimes her friends were so predictable. She knew they were going to hit her at any minute in the hall as she walked to her door. But it was still somewhat a surprise when she tipped toed around the corner trying her best to stay hidden from kitchen view and the first shot was fired. It hit her square in the face; Maia pumped her arms up and down.

"BOO YA!" Maia screamed as she turned for more flour, the frenzy of curls bounced as she turned. Simon turned in that moment and smacked her in the back of the head. Although it didn't really matter if Maia got hit again, she looked like a ghost, covered head to toe in flour. Maia still threw a ball of flour at Simon, which missed. She scowled at her as if blaming Simon for the bad throw.

"What? It's not my fault you throw like a girl and have the coordination of a blind chimpanzee." Simon said laughing, although he, himself, was covered head to toe in flour.

"News flash dweeb, I am a girl!" Maia said before turning toward Clary, who had an amused smile on her face and a snowy cap of floured hair. "The last bit I think was meant for you, Clare Bear." Maia smiled innocently using the nickname that Clary detested.

Clary opened her mouth in an 'o' shape, her smile still evident. "Oh, you're in for it now." Clary leaped for the flour and threw it at Maia and Simon who laughed, putting their hands up to block their faces, before joining in too.

* * *

Clary took a deep breath as she leaned forward concentrating yet again on her Medical. Why she decided to take the stupid course from the community college was beyond her. Just as Clary's eyebrows furrowed contemplating the question before her a dramatic sigh sounded to her right. The same sigh that she had heard at least 3 times in the last 10 minutes. She peered up at her best friend through her lashes; Maia was staring right at her with her fist jammed on the side of her face smashing her cheek up. Clary smiled softly at the pretty girl's bored expression, before fully lifting her head and looking at Maia head on.

"Don't give me that look," Clary said with a sad attempt at raising one coppery eyebrow. "You're the one who **had** to sign up for this class."

Maia's face twisted into a scowl at the remark, through the expression wasn't pointed at Clary but the work in front of her.

"Yeah well, you didn't have to say yes," Maia brought her warm brown eyes back to Clary's bright green ones. Her mocha skin seemed to glow under the lamp that illuminated the room. "I simply asked. _You're_ the one who agreed."

At this statement Clary threw her head back and laughed. "More like begged." Maia pressed her plump lips tightly together, trying not to laugh Clary could tell. "Besides I hear charity work looks good on a big league college application."

"Bitch, you best be jokin'. I, Maia Roberts, am not a charity case! I take pity from no man!" As if to make her point concrete she shoved her chair back and stood up. Pointing her finger to the ceiling, she paused as if thinking over what she said before continuing on. "Or WOO-man!"  
Clary grinned, giggling she looked closely at Maia who had announced she was going to "hunt" down Simon, who everyone knew to be in his room letting his mind turned to mush over another video game, though this knowledge didn't stop Maia from going into a crouch formation, her hands laced together as if she was holding a gun and somersaulting down the hallway pausing every once in a while to looked left and right in a dramatic manner and continue on.

Maia was, as everyone knew, a free spirit. She had strength that managed to stun everyone. Her slight weight and slim body attracted many and was envied by all. Clary remembered when she had first met Maia in Junior High, one of Clary's friends at the time introduced them and a gorgeous friendship was formed. And as they entered high school, their relationship had its obstacles but it wasn't anything they couldn't overcome.

Simon had came into the picture earlier having been Clary's best friend since Elementary school; ever since she had punched Steve Gibbons in the face for having taken Simon's glasses on the play ground.

And the troublesome trio was form.

Even as others said their friendship would never last, seeing as they were all polar opposites; that they would drift apart when there college years began but they proved everyone wrong. Buying a 3 bedroom apartment together and sharing rent, and enrolling in community college.  
Clary looked back at her notes for Medical, knowing fully well anything she was about to read would go through one ear and out the other. A method Maia was now a total pro at for whenever Simon was talking.

Clary cocked her head to the side, something Maia told her she did when something confused her, thinking in her own words what would describe Maia. Having grown a few inches since high school, the exotic mocha beauty was now a whooping 5'6—

A scream sounded throughout the apartment, Clary whipped her head towards the door to see Maia running past with Simon hot on her heels, each yelling profanities at the other either about being "caught" or being "as fast as the wind". Clary shook her head with a small smile and began thinking, despite Maia's slim figure; it didn't stop her from protecting Clary with everything she had.

Clary furrowed her eyebrows again, she had repeated over and over that she didn't need protecting to both Simon and Maia but neither had taken the bait. It was probably because they both thought Clary couldn't walk in a straight line much less not trip on non-cracked pavement. Clary frowned at her feet knowing fully well they were laughing at her, thinking about different ways to trip her tomorrow. She had to admit she wasn't graceful on her feet like Maia was, she had discovered this when Maia had one day hustled her ballet style, but it wasn't like she ran into walls.

Though Clary knew even if she could float like she sometimes thought Maia did, she knew it wouldn't stop Maia and Simon from protecting her anyway.

Maia dressed in black: summer, winter, fall and spring. Her rich, brown eyes always lined in black and shadowed with whatever color she was feeling that day. She had gotten blonde streaks dyed her hair to make her look edgy but Clary knew Maia was harmless, well, at least when it came to herself and Simon.

Simon was your average nerd, his daytime and nighttime activities included video gaming, magna reading, eating, sleeping and messing with Maia. Clary still had no idea how he got his notes done for class must of the time. Simon had choppy, shaggy hair that fell in his eyes and drove Clary crazy. It looked like he went to town on them with a pair of scissors, but it looked oddly fitting on him. His eyes were brown and shielded by his trustee glasses that had tape keeping one of the sides together. Coupled with the band, video game and sarcastic commented T-Shirts he wore, Simon really was just your average, kind-hearted, nerd.

She smiled at another thought; Maia looked so sweet but if you got on her bad side, well let's just say you had a better chance of living if all hell froze over; especially, when it came to herself and, what she suspected, Simon. Even though Maia would never admit it she had a soft spot for Simon, who it was hard not to have a soft spot for. His face had a trusting look to it, and in Clary's opinion, he was too cute. He had a gangly body, which had him looking like mostly arms and legs. His height was at about 6'0 which made him a mountain next to Clary's mole hill.

And then there was herself...and well she really didn't know how to explain herself. She supposed she was the peacemaker always stepping in between Maia and Simon when things got heavy or when Maia got exceptionally violent. Bright red unruly hair with green eyes and pale skin; she was basically just the like an elf. She grew up with the nicknames: ginger, ginger bread, ginger snap, shorty, etc. Growing up she had always been jealous of the other girls who had curves and height. Some had said she looked like her mother but Clary begged-the-differ. Her mother had been radiant, striking; no one would have called her ginger or shorty, they wouldn't have dared.

Her mother, it was times like this when she missed her the most; thinking back to memories that now seemed to be fading more with each day and would soon crease to exist. That scared her worst of all: forgetting.

"You know that scowl is going to become permanent and that's usually my thing." Clary lifted her head, not even realizing she had been scowling at her Medical notes, to see Maia in front of her and Simon just behind Maia. She laughed and smiled, at seeing their concerned looks. Simon's glasses had smudges on them and were sitting crookedly on the tip of his nose, Clary felt her heart beat endearingly for him.

"I'm fine," Clary said her face holding a smile, "See?"

"Hun, you have been studying nonstop." Maia looked to Simon for back up.

"Maia's got a point, Clary. All you've been doing is having your face shoved in some book studying." Simon said with a hesitant smile. "Which isn't that unusual but this is just ridiculous. It looks like your actually enjoying it." He faked a teasing shudder before smiling.

"Yeah, well, our finals for our course period are coming up soon," She said standing from her chair and entering the kitchen, retrieving a glass from the shelf she filled it with water, turning she saw both her friends had followed her to the kitchen and were standing in front of her. Maia's hands were on her hips and her hair was in curly knots it made her look as if she has walked out of one of Clary's fairytales her mom always use to read to her.

"Oh, no no no. Don't think you're going to be getting away that easily." Maia stepped forward, grabbing Clary's right arm, Simon grabbed the left. "We're all going to go out and have fun or so help me I'll..." She paused letting the threat seem endless and even more terrifying.

"I'm not going out Maia." Clary said and if she could have crossed her arms she would have. "And frankly you can't make me." She smirked at her comeback and shuttered at seeing Maia's innocent smile, which she and Simon both knew was not innocent at all.

"That's where your wrong, my love," Maia said with a smirk. "I can and I will. Let's take her to my room." She said leaning over Clary to look at Simon. "We've got to get her all dolled up for tonight." Clary found that she had no control over feet; both her traitor friends were much too strong for her to resist. As Simon and Maia entered Maia's room and pushed Clary on the ground. Clary turned to run for the door but she was too late. She heard the click of Maia's door lock, and in that moment it was never more certain to Clary that no one said no to Maia.

* * *

**It's more of a filler chapter and it's short but I'll post often.**

**Love you all and please review.**

**OH! And if you didn't read the top part of the fanfiction, please do.**


	2. Mind Over Matter

**Sorry another filler chapter, but whatever. I'll post a chapter a day!**

**Again, All Rights to Cassandra Clare...how I envy her...**

* * *

Clary was hot and sweaty and if the guy next to her, who looked like some sort of hobbit, hit her one more time with his groin she was going to go search for Maia and then let's see him use something that would no longer be there, she really hoped he didn't want to have any children in the near future, though she didn't see him getting anyone anytime soon. She frowned as he hit her again and she searched the crowd for the one person who had caused all her misfortune so far.

Not only had hobbit boy gotten on her last nerves but Maia had, also, taken her car keys, so the only way of escape was to go to the source.

Her eyes landed on Simon who was leaning leisurely at the bar, he looked lean and tall in the dark wash jeans and button down black shirt Maia had forced him into. His hair was nicely brushed and he was chatting with the girl who was so far out of his league it was comically sad. The woman next to him was a busty woman with dark brown curls that cascaded down her lean torso before ending in red tips. Simon was trying and failing at smirking, trying not to look nervous and making a failed effort to look more confident; as if he thought he was actually going somewhere but Clary watched as the woman, obviously bored, turned rolled her eyes and walked away while he was in mid-speech. Clary bit her lip, a mix between hysterics and humiliation for Simon coursing through her. She knew she had to let him make his own mistakes but it was too hard for her to watch.

She searched her surroundings again for the slim, radiant girl who was nowhere to be seen and as a third person grabbed her butt, she went on the move. Her search for Maia would continue on foot, as she pushed through the many sweating grinding bodies a strong smell of body odor and different smells of perfume and cologne filled the air. The lights above her head were of many colors and flashed brightly; so by the time she reached the stairs, which lead to the mingling area, she was feeling light headed and faint. She hoped that Maia was either mingling with one of the many men that waned for her affection or could be seen from the upper level.  
She ascended the stairs before impatiently going up two at a time, wobbling a little in the high heeled shoes Maia had put her in. At reaching the upper level, she rushed to the railing and leaned over searching for Maia; who had ditched her after the 6th time Clary had complained about coming.

This wasn't who Clary was, this person in this skin tight dress which Clary was certain was a size to small and had been one of Maia's shirts, fish nets and ankle boots was not her. Her face didn't usually have a smoky look to it, which Maia had, again, forced onto her. Clary tried to use as less make-up as possible or at least kept it natural. Her red hair wasn't usually fashionably piled on top of her head. She wasn't usually this...well pretty. Clary cringed at what would happen to her if she had told Simon and Maia what she truly thought of herself, knowing she would have gotten an earful.  
A wave of triumph flooded her as her eyes landed on a dark-skinned beauty, who was moving her hips in a slow hypnotic motion; a group of some attractive and some not-so-much attractive people surrounded her. Clary remembered when they were children and teens and Maia couldn't move at all, she had been stiff and jerky; but, now watching her you wouldn't have believed that at all. Clary shook her head as she started for the stairs, to think such a slim girl had taken karate when she was little and could probably kick everyone's butts, well, it just didn't seem possible to Clary. She had to shove her way through the crowd of men to reach her friend, who had her eyes closed and was obviously very into the music.

Maia wore her tight black pants; of course, _she _got to wear pants, tight red V-necked t-shirt and leather jacket. Her black combat boots made her look like a mixture of sexy and dangerous. On anyone else in a club it would have looked stupid, but Maia worked the outfit she wore. The many men with dropped jaws could attest to that. Her hair was a clump of curls on her head, some falling out and framing her face. Her lips were a blood red, eyes lined with black with a silvery eye shadow that shimmered under the flashing lights. Clary couldn't help but think that this might not be her best friend but someone who had walked out of a fairytale, she looked like a princess, well, the princess of seduction from what Clary could tell by all the men's faces. And Clary could tell why the crowd of men stared blankly, Maia moved in a hypnotizing motion. She looked beautiful and mesmerizing.

Just as Clary was about to grab Maia and round-up Simon and beg them to take her home, she saw a man at the bar. His hair was spiked and was colored electric green at the tips. His face was stunning, with high cheekbones, thin lips and almond shaped eyes, he had to be the most beautiful person Clary had ever seen. That's when she saw the color of his eyes a luminous violet, and in that moment she remembered her mother saying that the only person she had ever known to have purple eyes was Elizabeth Taylor.

Much to her surprise he pointed at her and beckoned her closer. But she looked over her shoulder just in case he wasn't actually speaking to her. And when she say no one behind her looking is way, she started to walk over, and for the first time she felt as if she was floating as if her feet were moving for her. On her pursuit of the boy she walked in Maia's line of vision and almost straight into Simon, who stood up from where he leaned and called out to her but Clary found she couldn't stop. Her body wasn't listening to her; literally, as she pushed and shoved through the crowd all she muttered was 'excuse me' and 'pardon me'. But she wanted to scream for Simon and Maia and she hoped that her friends could sense her fear or the on approaching danger. Because mystery boy had left the bar and was walking out the back entrance and Clary found all she could do was follow.

* * *

Clary couldn't control her feet, which was the first thing she thought of. The second was that mystery man seemed to know exactly where he was taking her. How long had he been planning to pull this...magic trick? For the first time in her life she wished she had Maia's strength or...maybe control over her own body! Clary found her hand reaching for the door to the back alley; the music and people's voices all seemed to blend together in a frenzy of blurred speeches.

Clary had to use her whole body weight to get the door open, and after mistakenly trying to pull the door open with no avail, she pushed forward with all her might. The door slowly creaked open. She found her feet taking big confident strides in to the pitch black alleyway, though Clary, herself, was anything but confident. She felt her heart beating fast, she had no doubt that if Simon or Maia didn't get the odd feeling something was up with Clary; then, they would certainly hear her heart beat.

It was then that Clary saw a dark figure in the far corner of the alley, and if not for the green tips that seemed to glow, she had no doubt she would not have been able to locate him.

Her steps turned slower and more timid as the distance between them shortened. Clary's heartbeat increased in speed the closer she came. The man had his body turned away her, the muscles of his back visible through his black attire. He was much taller than her; but, that wasn't hard seeing as she'd been the same size since elementary school. He had to be, at least, 6'4 or higher which meant he could easily over take her. This simple piece of knowledge did nothing to calm her over accelerated heart. She found she was shaking as well, from the cold or from the situation she had no clue.

She could see her breath coming in fast puffs, the icy wind causing goose bumps to form on her exposed skin; she cursed Maia once again for putting her in this ridiculous get up.

She stopped just a short distance away from mystery man, just out of his reach and she almost sighed with relief but the air got caught in her throat as the figure turned to face her. The smirk on his face made her heart drop right to her stomach. And the eerie laugh that came next made her feel as if she might bring her heart right back up and out her mouth.

"You know you're a hard girl to find, Ms. Morgenstern." His voice was as pleasant as a mosquito bite.

Clary shook her head, causing some of the piled curls on her head to fall and tickle her face. "That's not my—"

"Ah, yes, you prefer Ms. Fray in this realm. Correct?"

"How..." Clary's voice shook and she cursed herself again for not being as strong or brave as Maia or Simon. She gulped loudly. "How do you know my name?"

He furrowed his eyebrows for only a second momentarily confused before smiling to sweetly again. "Let's not play games Ms. Morgen-." He paused and cleared his throat. The sound made Clary's heart jump. "I mean, Ms. Fray." He took a step toward her and she found she couldn't move, like her feet were glued to the floor. "You know perfectly well why I'm here."

Clary forgot her fear for a second, a flood of ignorance took its place as she shook her head slowly. "No, I don't...understand."

A scowl of impatience graced his angelically demonic face. "Where is the book? Murlog's book... where is it!" His voice was raising and his face was twisting in impossible ways.

It looked just like when she, Maia and Simon went to the apple store and took pictures with the camera and distorted their faces. Though they had used technology, this man's face was changing all on its own. He no longer looked like the handsome man from inside the club, he looked more sinister and... otherworldly.

"Where is it...WHERE!" His voice was now much deeper and seemed to echo by itself. Clary opened her mouth to scream but it wouldn't come. She was frozen and she didn't think it was mystery man's doing but her own. She was frozen with fear. She didn't know what to do, didn't know where to run. Maia's voice entered her mind then, it sounded encouraging and in this whole mess that's exactly what she needed.

_"Were all those self-defense lessons I gave you for nothing?"_ Clary could practically hear Maia laughing, and smell Maia's favorite perfume Roses and Vanilla. _"Get into a fighting stance, feet spread and hands clenched in front of you. Remember to S.I.N.G: Solar Plex, In step, Nose and Groin."_ Maia's voice was stern and suddenly turned soft. _"Come on show them what you got Clare Bear." _Maia voice sounded as if she was right next to her. Clary did as Maia said repeating it to herself as she did.

"Feet spread...hands clenched in front of you...S.I.N.G..." She didn't know how well this was going to go especially since the heels that she was wearing were making it hard to get her fighting stance right. Plus, her legs were still quivering; this she knew was totally from the situation at hand because her body had completely turned numb from the cold. The man's eyebrows furrowed again though this time one of his eyebrows were located on his cheek while the other was higher up his forehead.

Upon realizing what she intended to do, he let out a bumming laugh. And she felt more uncertain of herself then she had been before. And for some reason she was almost certain she was about to die Simon entered her mind, filling her brain with the feeling of childhood and warmth.

While Maia was dark and mysterious, Simon was open and light. The three of them had made a great trio. She closed her eyes not wanting to witness her own death.

_"What's this talk in past tense all about Clare, hmm? Last I checked you were still alive and kicking. You're not dead you dweeb, now show them what you got."_ She could almost see Simon smiling, his glasses perched on his nose and cheering her on.

_"Hang in there, Tiger. We've got your back_." Maia's came then.

_"Forever and Always."_ The both said together, their voices as clear as if they were standing right in front of her. Behind her closed eyes she saw they both standing before her, her life had been messed up and they were all she had. She owed them this, besides they had her back.

"Forever and always." Clary repeated, a determination she didn't know she had flared up inside of her. This surge of determination was caused solely from a picture of her friend's faces covered in flour, a memory that seemed to be so far away now.

The man cocked his distorted head to the side. "Who..." He shook his head, looking at her now determined stance. "You cannot beat me." He said with another bumming laugh, shaking his head before returning to a blank and serious expression, Clary took note with a startling gasp that his eyes were now slit like a feline's...or a reptile's. "Not without-"

"Hey, Leather Face." A heavily-filled sarcastic voice said from behind Clary. She whipped around, her hair moving with her, having fallen completely from its entrapment on her head, and settling down her back. A boy stood before her, the light from the club turning his shaggy hair into a blindingly, dark halo.

A little ways in front of him stood a girl, her hands on her slim hips and her knee high combat boots set to a fighting stance; her heels digging into the grimy concrete. Her hair had come undone from its twisted bun and it hung in tangled curls around her neck. She looked like a warrior princess; they both looked like a force to be reckoned with.

Maia and Simon had come to her rescue though she had never asked or gave any indication that she had needed it but they had known somehow, someway and they had come. And no matter how much Clary loved how they had come, she had wished they hadn't. Wished that just once they didn't know she needed them, wished that they hadn't come to help. Because before it would have been just between her and Freak Show, and if she had died at least it would have been just her but now the people that meant the most to her were in trouble too.  
And she couldn't let them die; she just couldn't, frankly it wasn't an option, though she didn't think Leather Face was all that into choices. It looked to her he was more of a...his way or the highway type guy, well highway straight to heaven or hell depending upon the sins you committed. Clary couldn't even fathom what heaven would even be if she didn't have Maia or Simon there... well it wouldn't be heaven to her at all.

"Step away from Clary." Maia's voice was like a bucket of poison and her eyes seemed to glow a deep yellow in the moonlight. She could almost taste the venom in her voice and Maia's threat hadn't been pointed at her at all. Clary knew she was going delirious when it almost looked like Maia was growing a snout. She slowly turned her body back toward Leather Face and almost stumbled back a step upon seeing how much distance he had closed while her back was turned.

They stood at a Mexican Standstill, one boy and two girls locked on one very gruesome looking man, who would make the first move. Who would strike first, Clary could practically see Maia aching to make the starting attack but knew she wouldn't; in any other situation, maybe, but not one where Clary wasn't behind her. If Maia made the first move she would never make it between Leather Face and Clary and Clary would get hurt. Maia knew this, but so did Leather Face.

All the cards were in his hands, unless Clary made her own play. Weak, little Clary who couldn't protect herself; she would always need protecting and was too frail and fragile to do any of her own protecting.

A wave of disgust rolled through her frame and almost made her fall to her knees; she struggled to control her body. A wave of realization pushed the disgust to the back of her mind. She had control over her body now, maybe he couldn't concentrate with this many people around. He was only focusing on her in the club but now he had two others to keep his focus on as well. Especially with Maia looking like she was out for blood.

That's when she knew what she had to do, make a run for the door that Simon was holding open; to grab Maia, who looked like she was growing claws, and drag her through the door and lose him in the crowd. Then they could make a run for home. She would do something this time, she wouldn't just sit back and watch from the sideline; goody-goody-two-shoes Clary, little Ms. Wallflower Clary was going to get her best friends and escape.

His eyes, which were drifting around his face, flickered from Simon to Maia then to Clary herself and back again. Maia's voice entered her mind again. She locked eyes on Maia to see if it was the actually Maia not the one that lived in her head, but her brown eyes, now a dark yellow, were still locked on Leather Face, her lips pulled back forming a snarl.

_"Remember, Clare bear, anything can be used as a weapon: Sand, a pen, string, anything." _Clary remembered she had laughed when Maia had said this to her, though now she was glad she was told.

Clary pretended to double over, her hand falling to the concrete and digging her nails into the grim. Maia yelled her name and Simon took a step forward the door swinging closed a little but before they could make a move of attack Clary stood up fast almost stumbling again and threw her fist full of grim in Mystery Man's face. It didn't exactly get in his eyes but it landed in what Clary believed to be his mouth.

She didn't turn to make sure as she sprinted toward Maia, who grabbed Clary's arm and they both took off toward Simon who had his hands outstretched. He grabbed them both and pulled them into the club's back hallway, Clary turned as the door was closing and locked eyes with Leather Face, he did not look happy.

Not at all.

* * *

**I know it's cheesy, but bare with me here.**

**It will get much better I promise. And soon a tall, bright and dreamy will enter the picture!**

**I can;t keep it a secret anymore! It's Jace!**

**Oh...you already knew that...**


	3. Ransacked

**Hey, hey, hey, ya'll! Here's another chapter from your's truly!**

**All Rights go to Mrs. Cassandra Clare.**

* * *

Clary latched her hands around both Simon and Maia's wrist, the two friends locking their hands around Clary's as well.

"You make the oddest friends." Maia said with a shaky smile. She had seen what that guy had done to his face. It was impossible! It defied all the laws of matter! It simply was not possible!

_Isn't it?_ A small voice in Clary's brain answered. _Is it so crazy? Or are you just in denial?_

"Does anyone want to tell me what the hell that—that," Simon ripped his wrist out of Clary's hand and ran in through his hair, yanking and pulling at the shaggy strands. It looked painful and when Simon winced, she knew it must have been. "Thing was!"

"Not here." Maia voice was calming and it washed over Clary like a blanket. She clung to it desperately, her mind was against her now and she kept feeling the flutter of memories just out of her reach.

Simon looked at Maia wide-eyed. The magnification from his glasses lens making it seem like his eyes were bigger and wider. "How can you be so calm?" Simon exclaimed flinging his arms outward. "His face was moving, Maia! Like a freaking jigsaw puzzle!"

"Simon." Maia said in a stern tone that Clary had never heard before. She wished she had seen what her face looked like when she said it because Simon had gone silent. Clary was too busy breaking the skin of her bottom lip with her teeth as she bit down.

_It's not as crazy as it seemed._ The voice echoed. _Maybe you're not as crazy as you thought? Did you ever really believe you were the only beings out there?_

Clary's face must have truly held a look of terror because Simon wrapped a gangly arm around her bare and frail shoulders. "Hey, everything's gonna be okay now. We're here for you." Simon finished with a soft but shaky smile, that on any other normal occasion would have just cheered her right up but this wasn't a normal occasion.

The three friends whipped their heads to the door as someone or some**thing** banged against it. Clary didn't wait to see who it was as she pulled Simon and Maia into the fist pumping crowd.

Blending their bodies in with the crowds, Clary glanced over her shoulder toward the door only to see it fly open and off its hinges; the action was drowned out with the sound of a throbbing bass and people laughing. But it didn't go unseen by Clary or Maia and Simon for that matter, all three teens momentarily stopped to gape and stare.

The man with the green tips was back, his face looked like it had the first time Clary had seen him, perfectly sculpted. But she knew what was under that facade now.

His eyes, now back to heart breaking violet, were scanning the crowd as if looking for something. It was only when Maia swore under her breath as his eyes landed on Clary's green ones, that she remembered it was she he was looking for.

She closed her eyes feeling her control slipping again; she could feel him prodding her mind, pushing the right buttons. And a wave of fear washed over her, she couldn't go back. They had gotten lucky once but would they have such luck again? Maia was pulling her now, she felt her feet moving and she put her full trust in her friends as they guided her through the masses of people. Every now and again Maia would stop and a profanity would slip from her mouth before pulling her faster and tightening her grip on both Simon's Clary's wrists.

Clary felt, more so, then saw him behind her. She felt his presence in the expanses of her mind, knew he was furious. And all she could think was how to put one foot in front of the other. She knew they were pushing people who were in the mist of grinding apart but she couldn't find herself to care. In the background a man was singing about never going home and thinking about the song made her laugh, the only thing on her mind were getting her friends safely home.

And getting the feeling of safety that she was so fond of back.

* * *

When the three finally reached the front entrance, none of them went to grab their coats. Getting home seemed to be in everyone's mind set or maybe just getting the heck away from this club and the creature that was held inside.

The cold wind slithered down Clary's neck collar and spread throughout her torso. And for a split second she thought of going back for her coat, though when she saw Leather Face's distorted face in her mind she felt otherwise.

To her right and left, Simon and Maia stood shaking from the cold, goose bumps had erupted on Clary's legs and arms and she knew they had the same thought as her as they stared back at the door before both shaking their heads and looking straight at her. Emerald green met both chocolate and deep brown.

"Okay," Simon said breathing sort of heavily. "Now what just went down in there? And why did he look like my version of the hash-slinging-slasher."

"Really? Spongebob references." Maia looked at Simon was an exasperated face. "Right now, really?"

Simon crossed his arms over his thin chest and narrowed his eyes. "I can't help the way I feel."

Clary ignored her friend's bickering, she could feel him still; he was in her mind to stay now. His distorted face forever imprinted on her brain. She couldn't explain what happened here not with him so close.

Clary stared hard at the front door as if expecting him to just walk right out. And soon, she knew, he would. "Not here." She sent a pleading look to both Simon and Maia. "Not here."

Maia turned to look at Simon, who looked half-crazed now. "She's right, not here."

Simon threw the dark-skinned beauty a suspicious glance. "Why do I feel like you both know something I don't?"

Clary frowned at Maia too. How could she be so calm? For some odd reason, Clary felt like she didn't know Maia, not the true one. Not the one with the yellow eyes and the claws for hands.

_Oh, my gosh! I'm going insane._ Clary let out a strangled whimper as she put her hands to her head.

Simon reached out to grab her hand, again, and this simple gesture made the whole situation much easier to handle. In this gesture he gave Clary his trust and his support. And that's just what she needed. "Yeah, okay. Not here, Clare."

Maia grabbed her other hand and Clary squeezed them both. She opened her mouth to say "thank you" just as a scream was heard from the club; an earth shattering, bloodcurdling, terrified scream.

And without a look back Clary, Maia and Simon took off running. Each of their hands still intertwined together. The lights of the city blurred around them as they all ran for Clary's truck that would take them to the safety of home.

* * *

Maia shoved the door open so hard it hit the back wall and formed a dent. Maia swore as Clary and Simon gasped at the scene that lay before them. Their apartment was trashed; wooden shelves were thrown on to the floor, there components spilled from inside them. Glass covered the tile in the kitchen and the fridge had been ripped from the wall and lay toppled over on the floor.

Food was spread out among the glass, the friends moved more into the hallway passing through the dining room where the dining table lay in splinters. The living room suffered the same fate, cushions and their stuffing lay around the broken TV. The couch totally ripped apart and the lamp shattered.

A yell sounded from down the hallway. Clary looked to her sides and saw Maia and Simon were no longer standing with her. As she ran for Simon's room, she began to wonder how long she was staring at a ripped apart room, just staring.

When Clary reached Simon's room, Maia was already there her face held a pained expression. And as Clary glanced around the room she understood why. All Simon's video consoles and games had been torn apart, crushed under an instrument of some kind and completely destroyed. This may have seemed comically and on any other occasion Clary would have laughed, sure she had threatened to break Simon's sacred games but she would never have gone through with it. Those were Simon's life; his very existence depended on his games. Now the remains of his childhood lay scattered on the floor.

Clary put a hand to her mouth, Simon stood in the center of the destruction.

"I'm so sorry Simon." Clary said placing a delicate hand on her friend's downcast shoulders.

"Yeah well," Simon turned to Clary and half- heartedly shrugged. That was all he said and without another word, Clary pulled Simon toward her and hugged him tight, and although Simon was taller by several inches, Clary knew she was giving him some comfort. It was better than nothing, if only a little.

"I checked my room already, not a hair out of place." She raised an eyebrow. "Did you check your room yet, Clary?" Clary shook her head slowly, feeling a certain dread fill her stomach like acid. "Come on then, we'll go together." She held out her hand toward Clary and she found herself just staring at it. Once she took Maia's hand she would have no choice but to check her room something she was not looking forward to. She opened her mouth to make up an excuse as Simon spoke.

"We'll all go together." Simon said having took Maia's hand hanging at her side and outstretching his hand towards Clary as well.

She knew that the bond between the three friends had strengthened then for that was all it took for Clary to breathe in deep and muster up some courage. She took both their hands as Simon let Maia's hand go moving to Clary's left, Maia took her right. And just like that they formed a strong frontier as they walk with slow steps towards Clary's door.

Clary's room had suffered the worst fate, all her clothes laid scattered around the floor, her bed was ripped apart and all her pillows lay in just feathered remains on the floor. A pile of what use to be her paintings were scattered around the room. She squatted and touched the edge of one of the slashed pictures and frowned. This was a new one she had just painted, it was of colorful birds on numerous wires and the date and signature was in the corner. Touching another royal blue one she saw she had made this when they were just in grade school for only her name was written in the corner.

"Oh, Clary." She looked up at Maia only to see she was not looking at her at all but in the far corner, as she followed her gaze a flood of pain shoot through her. Her easel lay in a sadden heap on the floor, paints crushed and stained into the carpet.

Clary just stared. "They weren't that good anyway."

"You know for someone who paints all the time, you don't see true art. Do you, Clary?" Maia said holding up a picture she had drawn long ago when they had only been in grade school.

The picture was one of a calm day, where sail boats floated on the blue wispy water. Clary, at the time, had drawn it for a friend of her own, expressing how she loved sailboats but it had grown on her. She had decided then that she would keep it, and it forever had hung just above her dresser. She moved away from Simon and toward Maia, hands outstretched as Maia handed her the precisely drawn and expertly painted picture.

Clary could see her artistic signature in the corner.

**Clary. A. Fray**

She hugged it close to her and smiled at Maia. "Thank you." Maia smiled back, for finding her favorite picture unharmed or the compliment Clary wasn't sure but she was thankful none the less.

She turned her gaze to the corner of the room, the painting under her arm and looked at her torn apart bookshelf. It was destroyed, not a single piece of wood wasn't broken to slivers and not a single book not ripped to shreds; pages of various novels lay scattered around the room. It seemed that whoever had wrecked their apartment had spent a lot of time searching through Clary's room presumably this area.

_"Where is it? Murlog's book! WHERE IS IT!"_ Clary shot up from her crouched position as that man's deep voice invaded her mind. _"Murlog's book. Where is it!"_

He had been looking for a book and had thought she had it. She looked back up at her book shelf and all the books that she had inherited after her mother's death. She didn't have Murlog's book, at least she didn't think she did.

Reaching down she picked up a framed photo of her mother and herself, she was only ten at the time and they were both smiling largely. There was a giant crack between both of them; she ran her finger along it. They would always be separated never together, whether it was objectively or spiritually. It was as if fate just didn't want them together, mother and child which in all mind set was seemingly impossible.

As she stared into her mother's beautiful green eyes she wondered what secrets they held, secrets about Murlog and his book. Or was she just as victim to this as Clary was.

"What are you hiding, Mother?" She whispered a question that she knew she would get no answer to.

"Clary!" Simon shook her violently causing her to drop the already broken frame. "I've been trying to get your attention." Turning Clary around to face him, he opened his mouth as if to scream but he instead stared into Clary's eyes for a long moment. "What are you hiding, Clary?"

The question itself startled her, were her mother and herself really that much alike. Could you see the secrets that hid behind her eyes, questions that didn't have answers but needed them?

"If I said I don't know would you believe me?" Clary stared between Simon and Maia, her voice nothing above a whisper.

"No." Alarmed she turned to look at Maia, who had her hands on her hips. "You know, Clary. It's all perfect woven in that artistic brain of yours. Did you really think you could have drawn this with on pure imagination?" She picked up on of Clary's slashed paintings, pulling the curling edge back to its starting position.

It was a land that seemed to live only in Clary's mind. With wispy clouds that filled a bright blue sky; grasses, meadows and forests the deepest of greens and seeming to go on for miles. In the far corner, were two towering glass structures protecting a fragile city. It was the picture that repeated in her dreams; it was the place where her fairytales took life.

Clary blinked as she stared at Maia with honest confusion, in the back of her mind she felt the slightest flutter of something; as soft as a butterfly's kiss but then as fast as it came it vanished and she was felt with a feeling of yearning. Maia looked as if she was yearning too, for the same thing Clary was. She shook her head, her curls bouncing with her.

"I don't know what you're talking about. This was from a dream."

"Was it?" Maia prodded as she brought the painting closer. "Can you honestly tell me this picture painted means nothing to you?"

"Yes." Clary lied as she wrapped her arms around herself, feeling a cold shiver take over her. She never had to lie to Maia before, something was going on. The yellow glowing eyes jumped back into her memory.

"Alright, that's enough." Simon said curling his arm around Clary's shoulders and pulling her to him. "I don't know what's up with you, Maia, but you're acting really weird. I want some answers and I want them now."

Maia sighed and dropped Clary's painting back onto the floor, Clary's stomach dropped with it. "I will explain, just—"

"Not here." Simon scowled as Maia closed her eyes and nodded. He groaned out loud as he pulled away from Clary. "Fine, but you have _a lot_ of explaining to do, Maia."

Nodding she walked toward Clary's Tote bag in the corner of her now destroyed closet. Clary and Simon's eyes followed her. "Grab a bag and fill it with as much clothes as it can fit and anything else you may need or want." Stuffing clothes in Clary's bag as she talked. "We'll head to a friend's cottage and figure things out there." Simon seemed to seethe for a moment before nodding his head. Maia passed by the two stunned teens, her stride was strong and determined as she went for the door. Simon's voice stopped her from exiting.

"Shouldn't we call the police?"

"Nothing was stolen." Maia said in a monotone drawl.

"How can you be so sure?" Simon questioned.

She was in the hallway by this time heading to the bathroom. Clary and Simon's feet stumbled to the doorway following after her and Maia glanced over her shoulder.

"I'll explain on the way." Her word was final and no one said anything against it.

Simon grumbled. "Of course you will." Before he stalked toward his own room.

Maia handed Clary her Tote and headed to her own room as Clary entered the bathroom. Staring at herself in the mirror she thought over what Maia had said and how she would even begin to explain her side of the story, when she didn't totally understand herself.

The person in the mirror bit their lip, nervous about the future. She was so uncertain and one wrong move could bring them all down.

"Well, here goes nothing." She muttered turning away from her reflection, guess they would have to take it one step at a time.

One very small step at a time.

* * *

**So, here's Chapter 3!**

**I promise Jace will be in the next chapter!**

**Anyway, please reveiw! I love it when you do :D**


	4. So McDreamy, huh?

**Hey, here's another chapter! And thank you to all the guests who reviewed, I seriously love it when people review!**

**Disclaimer: Cassandra Clare owns all.**

* * *

"So, wait wait wait," Simon said waving his hands in front of himself. After playing rock, paper, scissors to see who would get shotgun; something that at the time had made Clary crack up, Maia had come out victorious. So, that's how they sat now Clary in driver, Maia in passenger and Simon seething in the back. "He wanted a book? Why?"

Clary rolled her eyes. "That's the golden question, isn't it? I didn't really ask and he sort of expected me to know." She said with a shrug of her small, freckled shoulders.

Maia was silent in the passenger seat, her brown eyes staring vacantly out the window. Clary had expected her to be more inquiring on the subject of what had gone down in Pandemonium but she remained silent. She frowned; throughout the whole thing Maia seemed really calm and collected. Like she had expected something like this to occur at one point and had made plans to escape.

It all seemed rather suspicious to Clary and not for the first time did Maia's glowing eyes or clawed hands entered her mind. She shook her head, her frenzy of curls flying with the motion. She had been cold, delirious and scared. That man's face couldn't have moved; it was impossible, it wasn't plausible.

_Oh, Clary. How ignorant do you wish to be? You know there is more out there in the world than your own. You're paintings show it. _Clary's hand's tightened around the steering wheel, her knuckles turning white with strain. _Maia knows it and inside, you do too._

"Wouldn't the golden question be why he thought you would have the book at all?" Simon said poking his head between the front seats of the small rusty truck, something that Clary had also inherited from her mother's "passing", and began fiddling with the radio. She jumped at Simon's voice, causing the car to swerve into the shoulder a moment before she yanked the car back on track.

She was going insane, that was it. All her inner demons were coming after her and her brain was turning against her. That was the only way to explain all this. There was no other way.

_Or is there?_

"Stop it!"

"Stop what, Clary?" She turned her head to look directly into Simon's eyes, which seemed bigger because of his glasses. They seemed concerned and sincere as they questioned her in confusion. He wasn't the only one confused, so was she.

Maia was staring at her hard in concentration, like she was waiting for something to happen. Like she expected her to crack; well, she was certainly on her way to the looney bin.

She faked a smile before turning up the volume on the radio. "Stop it right here. I love this song." She listened with distaste as the sound of rap filled the car. Simon frowned; seeing right through her lie but didn't say a word on the subject as he turned to look at Maia. The dark-skinned beauty narrowed her eyes but didn't raise her voice to mention that Clary hated rap music. That she thought it was silly to listen to a song you couldn't understand or keep up with.

After about a minute or two, Maia rolled her eyes as she turned to look at Simon. "Yes that would be the golden question, she was being sarcastic." She said it as if she wanted to get back on this subject and take some heat off Clary; though when she looked at her in the corner of her eye she say Maia was tenser than she was. Maia had to be hiding something and whatever it was, it was intense.

Maia turned forward before double taking Simon. "And sit back and put your seat belt on."

Simon stuck out his tongue. "Don't have to, law saws anyone over the age of 16 doesn't have to wear a seat belt in the backseat." He smiled triumphantly at Maia, who in turn narrowed her eyes.

"Yeah, well, Maia's law says you have too."

"Well I guess it's a good thing I don't follow those laws." He smirked, his glasses sliding down his nose. "Sometimes I just can't control the bad boy in me." He leaned back then and placed his hands behind his shaggy head. "I've like broken the laws of physics too, just in my free time."

Maia rolled her eyes again and scowled. Clary, happy to have some of the attention taken off herself, just shook her head laughing. "Can't control the bad boy, huh? You're the boy, dad's fear for their daughters to date?" She snorted, sarcasm dripping from her voice. In response Simon nodded while smirking.

"Yeah...well bad boy this!" Faster than Clary had ever seen her move, Maia unbuckled herself and threw her body between the front seats and right at Simon, who let out a surprised shriek holding his hands up to block her. Maia grabbed onto the seatbelt and attempted to put it around Simon's body which was thrashing and pushing at Maia. The two friends began to push and shove each other fighting for the seatbelt; the action causing Clary to swerve, again, on the road. If they didn't stop they would be pulled over for sure and they could really do without that.

"Guys!" Clary yelled making both stop fighting for control of the seatbelt at the same time. "Put the seatbelt down." She said finally regaining control of the car, and giving both friends a look in the rearview mirror.

"He has to first." Maia replied simply.

"No! She has to first!" Simon said as he narrowed his eyes at Maia. "I don't trust you."

"You're the one that can't be trusted."

"Yeah, well, you're the one that's a...JERK!"

"Oh, that one hurt, Simon." Maia said with an eye roll.

As the two began to bicker again, Clary yelled over them. "Do it for me?" She asked sweetly.  
Both friends stared at the other suspiciously, waiting for the other to give in. So much for strengthening our bond, Clary thought with a sigh.

"Okay, how about this, I'm going to count to three and if both of you don't let go," Clary smirked to herself for a moment. "I'm going to turn this car around and head back." She heard rather then saw each friend's astonishment, as a loud synchronized gasp sounded behind her. "And yes, I certainly can make that happen." She added as she saw Simon's mouth open, which closed with a noticeable snap after Clary spoke. She tried to raise an eyebrow at the two friends in the back, daring them to mess with her. She might have been small and frail but she could still kick their asses; or, at least, Simon's ass.

Maia locked eyes with her as if assessing how much truth was in her statement and after a moment, when neither one of them moved, Clary took action by raising a finger in emphasis. "One." Each one of them dropped the seat belt and sprung back into their preferred seats. She smiled at them both. "Thank you."

There was nothing said for a long moment. Before Simon's head again poked through the front seats, slowly as if making suspense. "Anyone else hungry?"

"Oh God! Yes." Maia said her hand on her stomach and with that Clary pulled off the highway and headed to the nearest restaurant.

* * *

"So, who is this Murlog?" Simon said around a mouthful of food. "He sounds like quite a character."

"What I want to know is what's so great about his book?" Maia said taking her seat next to Simon again, she had gotten up to make a quick call of the pay phone, taking a big bite out of her chicken parmesan. "Why not go after Murlog himself?"

Simon shrugged. "Maybe he's dead."

Clary stared at her chicken wrap in concentration. "I want to know why he thinks I have it." At this Maia and Simon dropped their forks, and stared at Clary. She looked up and didn't even try to cover up her confusion and worry. "And for another thing did anyone even know what "he" was?" She stared at Maia a few seconds longer than Simon, as Maia fidgeted in her seat.

"You mean Leather Face?" Simon asked, knowing perfectly well who she was talking about and completely unaware of Maia's suspicious behavior. Clary nodded slowly, waiting for an answer that would never come.

"He seemed..." Simon trailed off after a moment of silence, not truly knowing what he seemed.

"Like a douche?" Maia said with her eyebrows raised, trying to make a joke. The three nervously laughed at that, before once again falling silent. No one was in the mood to eat now not while thinking of such an inhuman face.

"Otherworldly." Clary said, thinking back to just hours ago. She had made the same comparison then too.

"Yeah," Maia laughed again and Clary knew it was just nerves. "But otherworldly things don't exist." Maia paused a minute, like she was waiting for Clary to protest. "Don't you think..." Maia trailed off to and, like Simon; Clary believed it was probably because she wanted Clary to finish the sentence. But truly she didn't know what to think, nothing made much sense to her right now.

"I think," Clary took a breath, "there's a lot we don't understand."

She looked just above Maia's head in that moment to see what it looked to be a cook from the kitchen staring at her. His face was young, but at the same time seemed to have been weathered by the years. At first Clary thought his eyes were gray but as he stared her down it seemed that they were actually silver; the color of a newly sharpened blade.

His skin was gray too, like he was sickly or dying. Like something had leeched the color right out of him and sometimes it seemed like his skin shined like he had scales.

He made her skin crawl and her stomach twist uncomfortably. Something about him wasn't right, like the fact he didn't look hot or sweaty from working in a hot kitchen or that his apron was white as if nothing had touched it. He looked like he was wearing a disguise, like he was pretending to be a cook.

"Time to go." She said taking two 20s out of her pocket; she threw them down on the table while standing up. Turning she almost ran straight into their waitress. Clary smiled sweetly at her pointing to the table. "Keep the change."

The waitress thanked her and moved out of her way as Clary walked toward the door. Behind her she could hear Simon complaining about not being done and she knew that Maia had to be dragging him out.

The frosty November air didn't even bother her as she shoved the door forcefully open. She was hit with the memory of Thanksgiving, which she had spent with both Maia and Simon's families. Having no family of her own, her Thanksgiving would have been very gloomy and very lonely. But she had grown up with both Maia and Simon's families, she counted their families as hers and both had accepted her with open arms. That day had been spent with a lot of laughing and love. Looking back at the memory now made her feel like she was a stranger looking in, it felt old and very far away.

Clary shoved the key into the ignition and put the car in reverse. As she waited for Maia and Simon, her gaze wandered to the restaurant's front window. She locked eyes yet again with the lanky kitchen man. He was smiling at her like he knew something she didn't. And she had no doubt that he did. She didn't unlock her gaze from his as she heard the car doors open and shut and Simon's angry muttering. It was only when she floored it backwards and sped out of the lot did their gazes unlock.

"Whoa, there." Maia said clenching the seat. "This isn't NASCAR nor are you my mother. What's with you speeding out of there like a bat out of hell?"

"What's with the fact that I didn't get to finish eating? I didn't even get the choice of a box or not." Simon added.

"There was a man back there-" Clary started to say before Simon cut in.

"Yes, there are many of that primitive species infecting this planet." Sarcasm practically dripped from his voice. He pointed to himself. "Look, there's one here now."

"I wouldn't count you as a man." Clary said back with a smirk as Simon glared at her.

Maia leaned forward; her eyes were frantic and no longer calm. "What do you mean there was a man?" Her hand clamped down on Clary's arm, squeezing it with urgency. Like she could just squeeze the answer right out of her, Clary had never noticed how strong Maia was until now.

"He was listening to our conversation."

"So?" Simon questioned.

Maia immediately shushed him before focusing on Clary. "What did he look like?"

Clary winced as Maia's grip got tighter. "He had one of those faces where sometimes he looked young and other times he looked old, he was dressed as a cook too. But he was purely gray. It sounds crazy but it's true. Everything about him was gray, his hair, eyebrows, and skin. And his eyes," Clary paused thinking back to his sharp stare and his sinister smile. "His eyes were silver like knives."

Maia whispered a profanity before letting go of Clary's arm, which screamed in relief. She actually thought she might bruise from the strength of Maia's hold.

"What if Leather Face isn't the only one looking for that book?" Simon's mouth formed an "o" shape as the realization dawned on him. Maia remained tense, her eyes searching franticly out the window at the passing cars. "And I have a feeling this "gray" guy was looking for it too." Maia snapped her head over to look at Clary as the red head spoke. "There was something about his eyes." Clary frowned, this man wasn't as beautiful as the last, in fact, he wasn't even attractive but his eyes were. A shimmering silver while the other had been a heart breaking violet, her gut twisted with the thought of them.

"Okay, I want some answers!" Simon yelled from the backseat. "I've been patient and I've waited but something is going on. Both of you are acting weird, especially you, Maia." She didn't turn her gaze away from the window. "Whatever is going on I want to know now."

"Not here." Maia said.

That was all.

And surprisingly Simon didn't push her.

But Clary wasn't as surprised when she glanced at Maia and saw her eyes glowing again from the reflection of the window's glass.

She was definitely going insane.

* * *

"Uhhh, pull over!" Simon said pointing out the window.

The three had been stuffed in the car for an hour now, and Clary was still tense from her encounter with kitchen man. Well, everyone had been tense since Simon's outraged cry and Maia's, may or may not be imaginary, glowing eyes.

For the first ten minutes of the drive, she constantly checked her rear view mirror expecting to see the color silver staring right back at her but after her assumption became silly she stopped.

They all needed a break and time to stretch their legs and frankly Clary didn't see any problem with it. Both mystery men weren't following them, she was probably just blowing the whole book thing out of portion. Plus, the little town was just a mile from the cottage, soon they'd be safe.

Soon.

"Sure, I don't see anything wrong with that." Clary smiled as Simon pumped his arms in the air.

Parking the car outside of a small souvenir shop, Maia and Simon hopped out and tentatively happy strode toward the shops entrance.

Watching them happy made her happy. She was so lucky to have such loyal friends. They had, had their hard times but the important part was that they had overcome them. Each person accepted the other for their flaws, and it made her feel warm inside thinking about it.

Simon's hair blew in the wind looking so soft, and as the fading sun hit him, his hair became its brightened by the light. He had changed out of his dark wash jeans, button down black shirt and into blue jeans and a sweatshirt with a smiley face with two "x" letters for eyes.

Maia next to him looking unbelievably stunning, her eyes perfectly lined with black that seemed to make her brown eyes swirl. Her wardrobe was similar to Simon's only her jeans were black and she wore her signature black combat boots also.

They were all so different and yet they worked, looking down at herself wearing paint-splattered jeans, boots and a blouse with her winter jacket; she felt original and she wished she could see what everyone else supposedly saw her as. Maybe then she wouldn't feel so ordinary.

"Come on, slow poke." Simon said with a wave of his hand.

"I owe you something since you paid for dinner." Maia said smiling, though her eyes were always scanning. As if she anticipated an attack and wanted to be prepared. "And if you don't tell me what you want I'm just going to buy you something you might not like. Or I might find something outrageously costly and buy that for you, and not let you pay me back."

Simon teasingly gasped next to her. "Oh, anything but that!" Mimicking Clary's voice, he threw his hands to his face. "The horror!" Both friends began to laugh hysterically.

Clary had always had a thing with money; never wanting anyone's sympathy. She bought, spent and saved her own money. She owed no one anything, she wasn't in anyone's debt and that's the way she liked it.

"Oh, ha ha ha." Clary said while walking over to them. "That's right laugh at my expense. I hope your both satisfied."

Both friends exchanged a look. "Yeah." They replied and Clary playfully shoved them both.

"I'm heartily satisfied, yes." Simon nodded his head.

The three friends laughed as they pushed opened the door and entered the little heated shop. Clary almost sighed in pleasure as they walked in; although the walk from the car to the store was short the cold had still managed to chill her bones and had pinked her nose.

"May I help you?"

Clary turned to see a boy at the front counter. She almost had to double take to make sure what she saw was correct. His mane of black hair fell perfectly from the top of his head.

_He has to be at least 5'9, probably more._ Clary thought.

His body was tense and very lean, the muscles of his arms just visible through his uniform. His stance held an air of seriousness, and his face, well; she hadn't decided how to describe that. He looked handsome no doubt about that, he looked like someone who had walk out of a modeling magazine, but also there was something delicate about him. With almond shaped eyes that Clary now just noticed were a strikingly bright blue. They almost seemed to glow all by themselves.

"No, thank you. We're just looking around." Clary started down the farthest aisle from the door first, intending to look at each aisle, she heard Maia pushing a stumbling Simon behind her.

The three dispersed and began to wander around on their own. The store was about the size of your average dollar store, so Clary had run into Simon and Maia more the once in her browsing. Simon had said nothing to her.

Maia had simply said. "Remember what I said, Clary. Pick out at least one thing, please." Maia had spared her a pleading look and Clary was doing just as she wanted, browsing for something low priced and pretty. Turning another corner Clary accidentally tripped over her own feet and collided with one of the store's walls, and would have fallen backwards but the wall had managed to catch her.

Wait...she knew walls couldn't catch people.

"I know girls trip over themselves at the sight of me but this is just ridiculous." A voice that sounded like melting honey said. Walls didn't talk either.

Looking up Clary actually found all the breath in her body had left her. The boy standing before her had, literally, taken her breath away. His arms were the only things keeping her up right seeing as her legs had turned to jello. She had never encountered someone so beautiful.

The boy before her was the definition of gold, if the color could be defined. His tan skin was perfectly kissed by the sun. His body was lean and hard, his muscles visible through his shirt. His curly golden blonde hair reminded her of the sun. And she wondered what it would be like to run her fingers through it. Was it really as soft as it looked?

She took a step back, letting his arms fall from around her body to his sides. She studied his face, his high cheekbones and perfect lips reminded her of the boy at the front counter though this boy's were more dramatic. It seemed that the angels had sculpted him personally themselves. He was so beautiful it actually started to hurt, her heart was beating loud and fast and she was more than positive he could hear it.

"Hasn't your mom ever told you it's not polite to stare?" Goldie raised an eyebrow at her, while smirking.

"Sorry." Clary said stupidly. She almost gasped when she saw his eyes, like heaven had poured melted gold into them. This boy was gorgeous.

"It speaks." He smiled harshly "For a minute I thought you might just stand there with your mouth open all day." Clary opened her mouth but he held up a hand. "I know beauty like mine is a rarity. True beauty: something your little mundane eyes have never been graced with, it's quite alright."

He was sarcastic and arrogant and so far Clary didn't like him much. He was the type of guy that knew he was beautiful and knew others saw him as beautiful too. Cocky and egoistical, characteristics she hated in a man.

She raised her eyebrows at him. "Excuse me." She said as she moved past him, he furrowed his eyebrows in confusion and Clary could hear him following her.

"The names Jace." He smiled and stepped in front of her blocking her path. He towered over her; her head only reaching his chest. "I know you'll be asking for it the whole time we're here so I'll just save you the trouble." Clary frowned at him and moved past him again, this time he didn't follow.

Wondering down another aisle and distancing herself from Jace, she told herself that she was only keeping an eye on him so she wouldn't have to talk to him again and not so she could watch him float over to the front desk.

He was leaning over the counter talking to the boy that had, sort of, greeted them when they walked in. His shirt riding up a little to show the tip of his boxers from where his jeans hugged perfectly to his body and Clary looked away embarrassed. She felt her face heat up and had no doubt she was blushing.

"I feel a disturbance in the force," Simon appeared behind her a light-saber in his grasp. And Clary turned around with a gasp. "Your Jeti has come, young patawan." He, then, pressed the red button on the side of the toy making the light-saber glow red. He began to weld it as a weapon making little "zoom" sounds as he did.

Clary shook her head with a laugh. Simon did always know just when and how to make an appearance. And he always seemed to put on a great show. "You do know that the red light-sabers are the bad guys."

"Hey, I never said I was a good Jeti." He smirked. "I was feeling a little feisty. And the blue light-saber just can't handle all this." He moved his hand in a lot of jerky movements around his body.

Clary threw her head back and laughed. Before turning around and locking eyes with both glowing blue and gold. It seems Jace and blue eyes had heard her laughing and turned to see. Maia always did say she laughed loud. Blue eyes just furrowed his eyebrows as if he had better things to do while Jace smirked at her and stared at her strangely as if he was studying her.

Her cheeks started to heat again and she dropped to a crouch her head hitting a barbie on the way down. Simon looked at her strangely and he was the one carrying a light-saber, which was still lit up at his side.

"What's up with you, Clary? You're acting strange" Simon raised an eyebrow. "Well, stranger than usual."

"Get down." Clary hissed at him.

"What is it?" Simon looked around the room franticly before seeing exactly what had Clary so on edge. "Oh, I see what's happening here." He smiled down at Clary. "Someone has tamed the savage beast."

Clary reached up and yanked Simon by the collar down next to her. The gangly geek landed with a thump beside her. "Shut up. And what do you even mean anyway?"

"You either want me to shut up or explain." Simon smirked.

Clary sighed, waving a hand toward Simon. "Explain." The minute she said it she knew she would regret it.

"McDreamy has caught your interest. Which it was only a matter of time. I mean, you haven't even been kissed yet, Clary. I've been waiting for this day for so long and-" Simon said in one breath and much too fast for Clary to understand.

"Whoa." Clary put her hand over Simon's mouth. "English, Si."

"You like Goldie locks." He smirked slyly.

Clary stood up fast. "I do not." Simon stood up too, his face unbelieving and smirk still in place. "If you even met him you would know why. Trust me when I say he's an egoistic manic and I have no interest with associating myself with such people."

Simon stared at her for a moment before leaning toward her, his smile had changed to a teasing one. "Clary and Goldie sitting in a tree-"

"Urgh!" Clary turned on her heel, feeling a pair of gold eyes on her and matched over to Maia and grabbed her arm. "We're leaving." Behind her Simon was still singing.

"K-I-S-S-I-N-G!"

Pushing open the small shop's door Clary didn't see the glance that Maia exchanged with both boys; like they were confirming a plan or sending a message through a look. But she did notice the looming figure that stood next to her truck, she would have heard Simon pause to say goodbye, but the world seemed to have gone silent around her.

The figure that stood in front of her car was smirking none too kindly. It was the man from the restaurant; he had followed them after all.

Clary hadn't been wrong and for the first time in her life she wished she'd had been.

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**Thanks everyone who reads the story. Review!**


	5. Remus

**Another chapter since I missed yesterday!**

**Disclaimer: Me - Owns nothing except Remus. Cassandra Clare - Owns all.**

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Clary stopped short her eyes never leaving his. She almost fell when she stumbled a step from Maia walking right into her. Maia yelled a profanity before asking what was wrong with her, but she couldn't open her mouth to speak. Fear had frozen her limbs and chilled her right to the bone. She found she could do nothing but stare.

No one could hear them if they screamed. They were in rural territory the next shop had to be at least a couple miles away. They were trapped and helpless. Absentmindedly, Clary confirmed Simon's presence as he opened the shop's door and stopped also.

"What's wrong with you, dweebs?" He said walking forward past Maia and got all in Clary's face. "I know this may sound foreign to you but you're supposed to be doing this thing called walking. Putting one foot in front of the other, it's really cool you should try it." Simon said with a smirk.

But all Clary could do was stare. She was ashamed of herself; all she could do was stare. Why wasn't she acting like she was raised, with leadership and courage? Why did it seem to leech right out of her at the first sign of real trouble? What kind of friend was she? To put the people that meant most to her in so much trouble?

Simon scrunched up his face. "Clary, what's wrong?" He grabbed both sides of her face and smashed her cheeks together. "Don't go all Helen Keller on me now!"

"Simon." Maia growled from her spot next to Clary, as she narrowed her eyes at the unsuspected visitor. She literally growled and Clary couldn't help but feel like she was torn as to who scared her more; this new, eye glowing, Maia or the man with knife eyes. "Look behind you."

Simon let Clary's face go as he turned. "I still don't know what's..." He locked eyes with the man from the kitchen; Clary had been paranoid for a good reason after all. "Wrong."

He laughed at the three speechless teens and walked a step closer, all three stumbled a step back. Clary and Simon huddled into a small group, Maia taking her stand in front of them. Her back was erect and it seemed like the hairs on her arms were standing on end…like a dog.

He shook his head still chuckling and took another step. And they took a step back, this game continued on until Clary's back hit the shops door with a thud.

"Now, now." His voice was rough, like he didn't use it much. "All I need is for Ms. Fray to come with me and no harm will come to you."

Maia laughed harshly before taking her own step forward, nothing but courage and strength radiated from her lovely spiral curls. "Not gonna happen, Creep." She clenched her fists together like she was hiding something from Clary and Simon.

The man smiled at her sickly, disgust illuminated from the life-less pits he used as eyes. "I knew I smelled something foul. Why don't you go," He smirked and threw a look over Maia's shoulder staring right at Clary. "Fetch those little Shadowhunter friends of yours, mutt."

_Shadowhunters? Mutt?_, Clary thought confused. She had heard Maia called a lot of things, but nothing like those.

Clary would have thought it was impossible if she hadn't heard it come right out of the source. She listened as Maia dipped her head down and growled, low in the back of her throat. It scared Clary as she gasp and grabbed on to Simon's hand, who looked just as shockingly stunned as her.

"Shut up!" Maia snapped as her head dipped lower and her voice dropping with it.

He laughed again as he stared at her with teasingly grotesque eyes. "She doesn't know, does she? I mean, I understand about the awkward one but Clarissa doesn't know either?" Maia growled louder, her head snapping to the side. This just seemed to delight him more as he laughed some more. "Oh, this is going to be so much fun."

He walked forward again not seeming to stop and chat this time. Clary felt the slamming of her heart like a monster's clobbering feet smacking the ground; it seemed her heart was trying to jump out of her chest and run away. Her palm was slick in Simon's as he ripped his hand from her's and stepped in front of Maia; using his gangly, geeky body to protect her.

"Simon!" Clary hissed out as the man continued to walk forward.

"Move, Simon." Maia's voice was much lower and her body was making odd crunching sounds as Simon stood with his back to her.

"No, I can't—"

Maia wrapped a hairy clawed hand on Simon's shoulder whipping him around to face her as she growled again. Clary couldn't see anything but the back of Maia's head but had a clear view of Simon's paling face. Whatever Maia was doing that Clary couldn't see had frightened Simon to his very core. He stumbled back into Clary and grabbed her hand in his.

_Her hand was clawed! _That played over and over again in Clary's brain like a broken record.

The pursuing man stopped and looked at Clary over Maia's head with an inquiring expression. "You would let them fight this war for you? Fight to their deaths?" Clary didn't know what to say, well she wouldn't have known if she could have actually talked. She was too frozen with fear to move at all. "Perhaps you are not the girl I have heard about at all; such a heartless move."

"You'll have to go over my dead body to get to Clary." Maia snapped; her voice was as pleasant as a slap in the face. She had never seen this side of Maia before, and she didn't know what she felt about it yet.

The kitchen man smirked. "Oh, such very bad choice of words." Clary watched with wide eyes as his arm began to shift and change. Clary's eyes widen, he was changing just like Leather Face.

_They're the same,_ Clary screamed in her head.

She watched as his arm took form of a gruesome looking blade. She saw his eyes and scaly skin glowed bright silver as the blade took shape. She didn't wait for him to complete his impossible shift; she grabbed Simon and threw him into the store. She turned and quickly grabbed Maia, who dropped on all fours and began to shake.

"Go, Clary!" Maia whipped around to face her and Clary held back a gasp, her hands flying to cover her mouth. Maia's nose was jutting outward, in the form of a premature dog or gopher. Hair was spurting where it hadn't been before and she could hear the bones snapping and making room for a new form.

Clary was watching her best friend of 7 years change right before her very eyes; change into something that was only suppose to exist in her dreams. Into something that was only suppose to exist in folk stories and old myths and her paintings.

_This can't be real. I have to be dreaming._

_No, you were dreaming before. This is your reality. _The voice in Clary's head confirmed her insanity.

Clary didn't need to be told twice as she turned and dashed through the doors of the shop's glass doors. Jace and Blue eyes, who were trying to understand an incoherent Simon, turned to see what had made the commotion as Clary charged into the store.

Smirking Jace eyed her with a heated gaze before locking on Clary's frantic green eyes. On any other occasion, she would have blushed a color as red as her hair. "I knew I made an impression on you." He leaned against the counter leisurely and inspected his nails. "Back for more I see."

Clary huffed and ran toward the two boys. Blue eyes looked at them with concern and Clary found she was glad he was there. "There's a man," She was out of breath from fear and she was shaking with adrenaline. "He's...it's…and Maia…she's-" Clary never got to finish. For Simon had yelped and covered himself as the store's front window imploded toward the group of unsuspecting teens. Blue eyes leaped out from behind the counter to cover Simon, who had thrown himself in the direction of Clary but never reached her. Clary went to jump for him as she yelled his name but she was yanked back by the waist and thrown behind the counter Blue eye's just vacated.

She struggled against Jace as more windows blew inward. "Stay down you, idiot!" His face held a seriousness Clary didn't expect as she struggled against his hold.

"He's my friend." She said in huffed pauses as she pushed against him. "And he needs me!" A dog-like yelp cried out in the destruction and Clary stiffed for a moment. "Maia." She whispered as Jace swore under his breath.

He ran a hand quickly through his tousled locks. "Look Alec's with him, he's going to be fine." Jace said tightening his hold around her waist; he was just as strong as he looked. And his hands were the size of her waist; he made her feel very feminine. Vaguely, she registered that "Blue eyes" name was "Alec". "You wouldn't be helping them by jumping out there and getting yourself killed."

She knew Jace was right and she did trust that her friends were in good hands, remembering Alec's concerned face as she had run in, no doubt, red faced and breathing hard.

She felt Jace's strong arm against her stomach, she couldn't say the same for herself. Would he really help her? As she stopped her struggling and turned to look at him she saw that, behind the blatant arrogance and intolerable boredom, was deep concern in those caramel eyes and she knew that he would help. She didn't know how, but she just knew he would.

She threw her hands over her head as more glass imploded around her and Jace wrapped his arms over her and pressed his stomach to her back. She had never been this close to a boy before, especially such a good looking boy. His stomach felt like a rock against her back and she could feel every intricate contour and line of his, no doubt, wash board stomach; Clary shivered. Jace tightened his hold on her as the store went eerily quiet.

"Stay down." Jace whispered while giving her a hard expression before detangling himself from her and crouching to look over the counter. Clary crouched next to him looking out at the damage. She couldn't see much of anything because of the cloud of dust that covered the now destroyed store. "I told you to stay down." He hissed but she ignored him. All she could think about were her friends who were somewhere in that dust, glass and debris. They could have been wounded or dying.

Maia wounded howl played back in her head.

Before she could even register what she was about to do, she jumped up from her crouch and over the counter, something so bad ass that it would have made Simon proud. She managed to get over the counter before Jace could get a grip on her. She heard him yell for her to stop but she didn't. She had to find her friends.

She had too.

"SIMON!" Clary put her hands around her mouth to make her voice louder, hoping to be heard over the ringing that was no doubt in their ears because hers were ringing too. "MAIA!"

She heard her feet crunch over glass and she walked with her hands out in front of her. She could see that the dust was drifting to the ground and things were becoming clearer.  
Footsteps crunched behind her and she felt familiar arms wrap around her waist, and pull her back. Her back was flush with his stomach again and as she struggled, her feet lifting off the floor, his arms tightening around her middle.

"Stop. It's not safe." His hot breath brushed her ear as he spoke.

"I don't care." She struggled harder and when her feet were placed back on the ground, Jace turned her sharply to face him. He held her arms and rendered her immobile with his golden eyes.

"They are safe." She moved her eyes between both of his; letting herself get swallowed up by his big, melting eyes. She slowly felt herself, against her better judgment, believing him more and more. "Trust me." And she didn't want to but despite herself she found that she did trust him.

Maybe he wasn't as bad as he seemed. Maybe he was hiding something underneath that arrogant shell. Clary found that she didn't dislike him as much as she thought.

Just as Clary was about to agree to go back willingly and hide a chilling voice spoke from behind her. "Well, look at what we've got here." She knew that harsh voice anywhere. Kitchen man had found them and it was all her fault. And Clary wouldn't be the only one to pay the consequences of her actions; Jace would have to pay too.

With his life.

Jace smirked harshly. "Remus, I see you have taken a down slide from where you once were."

Remus snarled back at Jace. "I could say the same for you Jace. Protecting lowly mundanes now?" Clary wide eyed watched the exchange between Jace and the kitchen man, Remus, like they were old friends or old enemies.

Jace laughed. "Oh, you know I was always a sucker for a good damsel in distress." Jace placed himself between her and the oncoming danger. "Though most just come looking for me. What can I say the women just can't get enough." Jace raised an eyebrow, much to Clary's envy. She couldn't believe she was actually thinking about how jealous he was that he could raise his eyebrow and she couldn't "They're usually not running from me. To let you in on a little secret Remus, when they run from you it usually means they're not interested."

Clary would have thought this would have offended Remus but the man just threw his head back and let out a harsh cackle. "I see you still have your impeccable sense of humor, Jace. Even after what happened, that takes strength," Remus smiled though it was too big and showed too much teeth in Clary's opinion. "Or heartlessness."

Jace smirked with a shrug, not at all put off by what Remus said. Though she had seen him flinch a little, or she thought she did. "Something's just don't change." He said ignoring the last part of Remus's speech. "Something I can't say for you, old friend." He spoke with venom and smiled too sweetly. "The big guy downstairs got you on an errand run? I thought you were better than that, Remus." Jace laughed. "Who am I kidding? I always knew you were going down with the dogs. Have you gotten fleas' yet, old chap?" A low growl sounded to Jace's left and he dipped his head. "My apologies, Maia."

Clary watched with wide eyes as a large brown wolf, stood next to him. Its limbs were strong and laced with muscle and it's snout held sharp canine's meant for ripping and tearing. Maia's brown eye's lay in the eye sockets of the creature and Clary still couldn't bring herself to believe it.

Standing on two powerful legs, looking ready to rip and tear everyone apart, was Maia.

Her best friend was a werewolf.

Remus wasn't the only one offended, his blade arm growing sharper with each passing minute. "You would know, Jace. Don't you have your own set of fleas?"

"I'd say no but that would be a lie." Jace smiled unaffected by Remus's insult; in fact, he seemed a little proud. "Though I make having flea's a fashion statement. I can say they don't do well with your complexion, my friend. Don't feel bad not everyone can work the look. I'm just exceptionally extraordinary."

Remus narrowed his eyes. "I'm going to enjoy killing you, Jace Wayland." He, then, locked eyes on Clary. "Or maybe I'll let you watch as I make off with my prize." Remus laughed as Maia let out a low growl and Clary shivered involuntarily. She had done the exact thing she didn't want to do: show fear. "Or maybe I'll do both. You know I've always been a very greedy man, Jace."

"You're not going to touch her." Jace said in a low voice, his eyes were hard like gold bricks. Clary knew if looks could kill this would have knocked out a whole country.

"Yes, well, we'll just see about that. Won't we?" And just like that Remus launched himself up in the air his blade pointed straight at Jace.

Clary thought she had never seen anyone as fast as Remus did but she soon ate those words as Jace threw his body at her, with such speed she didn't even have time to blink, and shoved her backwards. She rolled across the debris; glass bit into her back painfully, she felt her jacket and blouse rip and with Jace's weight on top of her, it shoved the glass deeper. She knew it would have to be dug out later.

When they came to a stop, Jace looked at her for only a moment with an apologetic look, before grabbing her by the arms and lifting her on to her feet.

"Jace!" Alec threw something big toward Jace, his blue eyes widening at something just beyond him; raising his arm he pointed. "Jace, behind you!" Clary turned to where Alec pointed, to see Remus flying toward them again blade raised.

A split second was all it took for Jace to catch the cylinder-like rode that was thrown to him. It took another second for him to whisper a name to it. "Anahel." Clary watched with wide-green eyes as his a glowing blue light, brighter than she'd ever seen; shoot out of the cylinder-thing. It looked much scarier than Simon's light-saber had.

But it took Maia even less time to launch herself at Remus, claws raised and teeth bared, but he had saw it coming and shot her with a ball of red light; making her fly across the room and into several aisles before skidding to a stop. Clary held back a scream as Maia crumbled to the ground and stayed there.

Jace poised his blade with excellence as it meet Remus's and the two weapons made a clashing sound much more terrifying then Aria's light-saber sounds.

Remus had his teeth bared at Jace as he spoke pushing his blade-arm closer to Jace's neck. "I'd say if you just handed over the girl no harm would come to you. But I've been waiting for this moment all my life."

A bead of sweat rolled down Jace's forehead, though his voice sounded as if he wasn't exerting any force at all. "Dude, you seriously have to get a life or, at least, get laid." Jace pushed back hard at Remus and he flew back, his head making a sickening crack as it collided with the store's wall. "I can understand your obsession you have with me though. It's like a disease, many people suffer from it."

"The only person I see suffering will be you." Remus ran at Jace again, but was stopped a few feet away. An arrow embedded itself in his right arm and as he ripped it out he laughed. "Please tell me you can do better than that Alec Lightwood." An ooze of black came from his arm. Clary knew it was much too thick to be blood and the wrong color. She found her breathing coming fast, what had she gotten herself into?

She looked up at Alec, who was now beside her, his stance poised with his bow and arrows. Another arrow was on the bow ready to be launched at a seconds notice. And in that moment Clary knew Alec would always have Jace's back no matter what. She, also, knew that they had been in situations like this before. Clary thought back to when Maia had said she made the oddest friends. She didn't know just how true that was until now.

_Simon and Maia!_ Clary thought with a start, where were they? Were they alright? Safe?

It was then that she realized Simon were yelling her name. She saw that Alec had moved him to the safety of one of the farther aisles, right where Maia's body lay motionless. She could make a run for it but would she make it or would Remus intercept her?

She spared a glance at him but his attention was solely on Jace and Alec. Maybe she could make it, she always was a fast runner but he was much faster. She would never make it but she would try.

"This is what Luke's gotten you doing now? Working in a pathedic souvenir shop with a bunch of mundanes?" Remus laughed at Alec's expense but Alec didn't drop his guard. His face stayed straight and Clary knew Jace wouldn't let his friend get kicked like that. And just as she assumed Jace spoke out.

"Nah. The get up's just to please the ladies. Haven't you ever heard, a woman loves a man in uniform." He laughed, and Clary saw Alec blush a little behind his bow.

Clary saw her opportunity opening and she took it dashing around Alec, she sprinted toward her two friends. Her arms pumped and her legs threw her over fallen aisles and glass, adrenaline making her run faster than she ever thought she could possibly run. Simon yelled for her and she pushed herself to run faster. And when she was just about to reach them, only the disinfectant aisle in her way, Remus blocked her path. The glimmer of faith she had evaporated. Who was she to believe that she could out run this mad man? He wasn't quite a man was he? Clary found she didn't know what else to call him.

"You're a smart one, Ms. Fray. Run while I was distracted, very smart, but you just weren't quick enough." He took a step toward her and she spared a look over her shoulder to see that at one point, when she had been charging toward Simon and Maia, Remus had attacked and taken Jace and Alec by surprise. There was a Jace sized hole in the opposite wall from her and Alec was nowhere to be seen.

Alec must have landed another arrow in Remus because he was bleeding profusely from his thigh now. The first wound in his right arm still bleeding as well, she watched as a black pussy ooze as dark as molasses and thicker than blood ran down his clothes and dirtied the floor. It was then that Clary realized Simon hadn't been yelling for her in encouragement but fear he had seen what was going on while she had run and he had known.

"Alec." Clary yelled as she took small steps backward, never taking her eyes off Remus. "Jace."

"They can't help you now." Remus smiled. "Don't worry lover boy and his deranged sidekick aren't dead," Remus laughed again. "Yet."

Clary felt her back hit the aisle. An odd sinking feeling had entered her stomach; she felt the hopelessness of the situation now. No one was there to help her, she was on her own and she knew that she had to do something. He was going to kill Jace and Alec. And she'd like to think they were friends now. And what about Simon and Maia? Would he really leave them alone if she gave in? Could she save everyone?

As she searched Remus's empty eyes she knew that if she left with him they would all die, he would kill Simon and Maia and she couldn't let that happen. She placed her right hand behind her, it encircled around an Oust bottle and she waited for Remus to get a little closer. Just two more steps; that was all she needed.

"It looks like it's just me and you, Clarissa." Remus took a step toward her.

One.

"You remind me of someone I knew once," Remus put a hand to his chin as he faked a thought. "Ah yes, Jocelyn Fray." Clary's hand let go of the bottle with a gasp.

"My mother." She whispered.

He nodded and smiled, his lips pulling back from his teeth in what almost looked like a snarl. "She was brave and always so stubborn. Don't let what happened to her happen to you, Clary. You're smarter than that, so if you'll just come with me and give me the book you can go on with your life as if this never happened." He outstretched his hand toward her, invitingly, as if he was truly trying to help.

Would he really do it? Would he leave them alone? Should she tell him she didn't even know what he was talking about? Or should she fake knowing where the book was to get him away from her friends?

"Don't listen to him, Clary." Simon said from in front of her.

Maia appeared next to him, her face was dirty and there was a sheen of sweat on her face but it was Maia. "You got this." Not a sound left her throat as she formed the words.

Remus looked behind him and narrowed his eyes. And Clary made the same assumption again: if she went with him, he would kill her friends anyway. "Come with me Clary." His hand, that was still outstretched, wrapped around her left arm so tight she winced. It would bruise she was sure of that. Before she could untangle the thoughts in her mind, Jace ran into the building with Alec just behind him.

"Clary, no!" He yelled and she could only assume that he knew her name from when her friends had screamed for her.

Everything seemed to happen really fast but without sound; Alec aimed his bow and arrow at Remus as Jace ran toward her, limping a little as he did, but still looking like the most graceful person she had ever seen. And Remus took a step closer to her.

Two.

"Bite me." Clary hissed before wrapping her hand around the bottle again. Whipping out the Oust she spraying it in his face. He let her go as he screamed and clawed at his face, the Oust had entered his eyes and mouth.

Jace was next to her in that instant and she knew that she had never seen anyone move so fast. He brought his blade down on Remus's arm and it detached with a spatter of black ooze. Remus screeched holding on to his shoulder stub before lounging for the severed limb and shoving it back where it should have been. She watched, with a queasy stomach, as it began to stitch back together. She felt like she was going to be sick but she found she couldn't look away. Remus fell to his knees and Jace held the blade to his throat.

Jace was covered with bruises and scratches, and she saw that there was sawdust in his golden mound of silky curls. Clary had never seen anyone more beautiful, he looked like the avenging angel she needed.

The avenging angel she wanted.

"This is where it ends Remus." Jace said his face the most serious Clary had seen all day.

"That's where your wrong dear boy this is just the beginning." He smiled sickly. "He is coming and he will get the girl and she will bring the book. And there will be nothing for you to do but sit back and watch as he takes back what was always rightfully his and let the world burn as he does it." And then a gust of wind erupted in the room. Remus was disappearing in a cloud of smoke.

Astonished, Jace brought his sword down with a war cry but it just clashed against tile. Remus had vanished but he would be back for her.

Maia and Simon ran to her and smacked right in to her at the same time.

"Oh my God!" Simon yelled right in her face, his glasses barely staying on his nose. "That was so awesome, Clary. You were all like "Bite me." and then you whipped out the Oust and was like," He made a hissing sound that got spit on Clary's face. "And then he was all like ah!" Simon screamed. "I didn't know you had it in you!"

"I knew she had it in her." Maia said with a smile.

"Oh shut up," Simon narrowed his eyes. "You have a lot of explaining to do, by the way, but first." He turned back to Clary and punched her hard.

Clary let out a yelp holding her already bruised arm. "What was that for?" She said angrily.

"Scaring the poop out of me!" Simon said. "I'm serious, Clary, I am all out of poop!"

Clary laughed. "Okay, okay, I believe you."

Maia leaned forward to hug her again. "I'm glad your okay, Clary." She leaped away from Clary as if she was cut. "Clary, you're bleeding."

Clary studied Maia's hand to see it covered in crimson. Clary nodded her head, the adrenaline wearing off. She could feel the stabbing pain in her back from where the glass had gotten lodged.

She took a step forward and turned to look at the aisle. The shelves were covered in blood, and as were some of the disinfectants.

She felt a little light headed and the store was beginning to spin. She felt her legs give out and she waited for the floor to meet her face but Maia caught her before it happened.

"Clary!" She heard Simon yell.

She couldn't help but make a joke out of her own impending doom as the sentence _"Clean up in aisle 4!" _ran through her head.

* * *

**I'm a little uncertain about the "Helen Keller" part. I would like everyone to note I find Helen Keller as respectable as any other woman. I mean, no offense in any way.**

**Please, Review!**

**Seriously, please freaking review.**


	6. Broken Vases and Pestering Questions

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. I'm getting sick of saying it.**

* * *

Her back hurt.

Really, bloody bad.

Every time she went to take a breath, it throbbed. And for a while she wondered why she was even breathing at all.

"She's awake." Turning she saw Simon in a chair next to her. Their hands grasping each other's, their fingers entwined and she felt a little better with the gesture. Maia was sitting beside just beside Simon, her face was tentative and she sat further away; like she was putting space between her and Clary. "It's about time! How long were you planning on leaving me waiting?" He took a long look at her, her face turning serious. "How are you feeling?" And for the first time ever Clary couldn't see a joke in Simon's eyes.

"Bad." Her voice was rough and unused.

"Get Alec." Maia said to Simon, who hopped right up and nodded. His hair looked more than a little unkempt and matted to the side of his head, his shirt was wrinkled beyond recognition. She wondered how long he had been sitting there holding her hand and waiting for her to wake-up. "And tell them both she's awake."

"Aye aye." Simon faked a salute and then Clary couldn't see him anymore but she could hear him as Simon opened the door with an obnoxious creak. "By the way, I'm not getting them because you told me to, I'm getting them because I want too." He emphasized on the word "I" in his speech and turned on his heel and left the room.

Maia rolled her eyes, "He's so..." She trailed off before throwing her arms in the air.

"Simon." Clary croaked out, her throat was a little sore.

"Yes," Maia said with a laugh, looking at her with cautious eyes. "That's exactly the word I was looking for."

Clary went to laugh but it sent a spasm of pain through her back. Sucking in a sharp breath, she began to wonder what had happened to make her back hurt so bad. Had she fallen? She didn't remember tripping...

Then it hit her with the force of a semi-truck. She remembered the shop and Remus and her blood all over the aisle; Jace hurtling his body into hers and both of them rolling through glass. The way Jace had looked at her with those glimmering gold eyes and then turned to face Remus, who had come to get her and a book she knew nothing about and up until a day ago had no idea existed.

"_That's where your wrong, dear boy, this is just the beginning. He is coming and he will get the girl and she will bring the book. And there will be nothing for you to do but sit back and watch as he takes back what was always rightfully his and lets the world burn as he does it."_

She looked franticly at Maia and only muttered one word. "Remus."

"I know, Clary." Maia leaned toward her. "He escaped..." She trailed off but Clary could fill in the rest: but he'll be back for you.

For her.

Something was missing though; she was seeing flashes of what had happened at the shop. The glass that had imploded toward them from the window's, the feeling of Jace's sculpted stomach pressing into the softness of her back, the way his arm had curled around her stomach pulling her flush against him. She remembered the feeling of how her stomach had twisted with terror and her tongue had felt fuzzy with fear. She remembered how it had felt like her limbs were frozen and her mouth had filled with acid.

She remembered Simon's pale face, filled with shock and disbelief, the glasses that were broken and much too large for his face were crooked and his hair was in disarray.

And Maia…she had been…she had been…

Clary felt her eyes linger on her friend of 7 years. For 7 years, she had been Maia's friend and not once did she seem like she was anything else than a rebellious girl with a dark complexion and pretty face. But Clary knew what she had seen; she knew what the truth was. Her mind had not misled her, she had seen too much and it had all felt too real for her to have been dreaming.

_You were dreaming before. This is your reality._

For some reason, that statement never felt so right.

"So," Clary picked at the sheet on the bed her eyes looking at anything but Maia. "You turn into a dog in your spare time, huh?"

Maia looked at Clary incredulously for a moment as the petite red-head brought her bright green gaze up to meet her friend's brown eyes. The same eyes that could glow yellow and had been companied by a fairy and dog-like face. "Really? That's all you have to say?" She let out a loud laugh that Clary smiled at.

"No, I have something else to say." This stopped Maia mid-laugh, her eyes growing cautious again as Clary frowned. "I would also like to ask why you're sitting so far away from me. I'm injured, not diseased."

Maia blinked as if stunned by what she said. Had she really expected her to say something else? "But—I—"She blinked again and moved an inch forward slowly, like she expected Clary to spontaneously explode. "Clary," She spoke slowly as if not to provoke her. "I turned into a werewolf. Right in front of you."

"Yes," Clary spoke slowly back. "I was there Maia. I know that."

Maia slowly smiled at Clary's response clearly pleased. "No freak out?"

Clary shook her head. "Nah, I freaked out hours ago. I already, melodramatically, questioned my sanity and everything."

Maia smiled half-heartedly at Clary's bad joke before she sighed and hung her head; it looked as if the world were rested on her shoulder blades. "I have a lot of explaining to do." She looked into Clary's confused orbs with sadness. "I'm just afraid of what will happen when I do."

"Hey," Clary reached her hand out to Maia, who eagerly took it. "No matter we will always have each other's backs. Forever and always, remember?"

Maia smiled slightly again as she nodded, like she was trying to convince herself that it was true. "Yeah, I remember."

"Say it."

"Forever and always."

Clary smiled. "It's not like it can get any weirder right? I mean, I just found out you turn into a large dog whenever you feel the urge. That's pretty outrageous."

Maia sighed again and mumbled. "Yeah and it's about to get crazier."

"Well," She shrugged her shoulders and then wished she hadn't as her back burned like it was on fire. She tried her best not to wince as she took a strangled breath. "I always knew you were crazy, so I guess I had it coming in a way."

Maia threw her head back and laughed; something Clary hadn't seen Maia do in a long time and it gave her a warm feeling to know she was the cause of the lovely sound. She started to laugh herself, feeling Maia's laughter affecting her. Her mind felt less pressured and her heart seemed to grow lighter but it didn't last long.

She arched her back and winced as she took a deep breath. A stab of fire erupted on her back, and she let out a strangled cry. It was much worse than the first spasm and it felt as if the fire was spreading fast.

Maia's hand tightened around hers. "Everything's going to be okay, Clary. Just hang in there." She lifted her head toward the door. "Alec!" She yelled just as the door opened. "What the hell took you so long?" She exclaimed as Clary arched her back again, resulting in more of the fiery pain. Each limb felt as if it was tightening and her chest felt as if it was caving in as the hot pain shot through her.

"We had to make sure it was safe to use, you know what could happen to her if she was only a mundane—"

"But she's not!" Maia growled back. "I already explained this to you. Now help her!"

"Remember that I'm your friend, Maia. You snapping at me is not going to help the situation any." Alec spit back as he came toward her.

Clary's vision had gone blurry and it was only when she tasted salt on her lip that she realized she was crying. The fire was spreading through her body now and it consumed her every thought.

She saw Simon's blurred form as she leaned down. "Hang in there, Clare."

"Get him out." Alec said, his figure was too blurry to recognize but she knew his calm, soft voice.

"No way!" Simon yelled back, she couldn't see him but she knew his glasses were probably crookedly balancing at the end of his nose and his hair was in disarray on his head.

"C'mon."

"Maia! Stop!"

That's all Clary could focus on until she felt the fire lick her neck, making her body go tense.

"You're going to feel a slight pinch and burn." Deep and eternal blue entered her sight as Alec locked eyes with her and leaned down, it was the only thing that wasn't blurry on his face. It happened just as he said because she felt the pinch on her arm and almost immediately afterward she felt a cool rush distinguish the fire.

Clary couldn't keep back the sigh of pleasure that escaped her for having the painful fire disappear.  
As Alec leaned back, taking his hand away from her arm she reached out and grabbed him. Her petite hand could barely get a good grasp on his arm. "Thank you."

"Don't sweat it, Clary." Alec smiled, letting a slight blush grace his cheeks and she dropped her hand from his.

Clary felt the relief like it was icy entering her veins. Absentmindedly, he wondered why Jace was not in her room; why he hadn't even come to see her. Despite herself she felt a rush of disappointed fill her.

She could feel her eyelids getting heavy and she had to fight to keep them open.

"Don't fight it, Clary." Maia scolded, having returned with a scowling Simon in her wake.

"I'm scared." She whimpered feeling pathetic, but what if she didn't wake up? What if the darkness swallowed her up and never let her return to the light again. Why was she so fearful of the dark?

"We'll be right here when you," Simon said whirling his arms around in a circle. "You know, come back around."

"We're not going anywhere, Clary." Maia said taking seat again next to Clary.

Clary looked to Alec and for a minute he looked startled like she wouldn't have cared for his opinion before he nodded as well. "I'm holding you to that." She said and was just about to let darkness overtake her when the door opened.

Everything was blurry again, though this time Clary knew she was not crying and as the figure got closer gold started to consume her. And in that moment she knew even if she died, her last sight would be beautiful.

Jace gave her a soft smile, at least, she thought so; his face was, sort of, a blur but smiling softly wasn't usually Jace's thing.

"See you soon, Spitfire."

And with that she let her eyes flutter closed but instead of darkness overtaking her, she found she was being swallowed by gold.

* * *

"Simon, stop touching that." Maia hissed at him. "We are guests and knowing you you're going to break something."

"Oh, I will not." Simon leaned closer to a purple vase that sat on a table in the corner of the room. "Oh, look Maia I'm gonna touch it." He leaned in closer, his finger pointed outward. He smiled teasingly and placed his finger on the vase. "Oh look, Maia, I'm touching it. Whatcha gonna do now?"

At that moment there was a crash downstairs, causing Simon and Maia both to jump. Simon's action caused the vase to fall forward, he scrambled to reach for it but it was all in vain as the vase fell completely forward and tumbled to the ground and shattered.

"Oops."

"I'm going to watch you try and fix that before your best friend Jace comes upstairs and sees what you did to his friend's precious vase." Maia said with a smirk. "That's what I'm going to do."

Simon scrambled around a moment picking up pieces in his hands and running around the room frantically looking for a place to put them; before shoving them in an umbrella holder in the opposite corner of the room.

"He'll never know." Simon said nervously.

"Yeah sure," Maia raised an eyebrow. "And when Jace reaches his hand in there to get an umbrella and has to get 27 stitches instead. I'm going to let the guilt eat at you until you admit it was you who gave him those stitches."

"Why 27?"

"After that whole speech that's all you got from it," Maia rolled her eyes and Simon shrugged. "Really?"

* * *

"I just don't understand," Alec frowned. "The vase couldn't have gotten up and walked away. Amatis is going to kill us if she finds out that her favorite vase is gone." He paused a moment and his voice was softer. "Stephen gave her that vase, you know."

"Yeah, I know." Jace's voice was soft before he shrugged, "I could care less in all honesty."

Alec sighed back at Jace. "You think I don't know that." He paused to think.

"Maybe someone broke it?"

Alec shook his head as he locked eyes with Jace. "Nope, I asked both Maia and Simon and they said they didn't even know a vase was there." He nodded toward Clary, who had her eyes closed but was listening to every word. "And unless Clary miraculously recovered just to break the vase and go back to sleep, the only other explanation is it got up and walked away." He shrugged.

"And just because Simon said he didn't do it you believe him?" Jace raised an eyebrow and doing his trademark smirk. "Because personally I think he did it."

"That's your assumption?" Alec narrowed his eyes as Jace nodded. "And why do you think that is? Other than the fact that you don't like him for any apparent reason."

Jace was silent for a moment as he gazed at the sleeping girl on the bed. "I have my reasons." He looked back at Alec, who was watching him with a curious expression, his expression was glazed over with boredom and the softness that had once graced his sculpted figures was gone. "Besides, his face reminds me of a rodent. And rodents are nothing but disgusting; they carry diseases, Alec."

"He's not a rat, Jace."

"But he looks like one."

"That doesn't mean he carries a disease!"

"All I'm saying is that it's quite suspicious." Jace laced his hands behind his head from where he sat next to Clary's bedside. He smirked a little bigger at Alec, who was leaning against the doorframe tensely.

Alec sighed as he took a step into the room. "So, why do you think no one told her?"

Jace looked at Clary's sleeping form; she seemed so small under that thin sheet. The large king bed seemed to engulf her petite body as her eyes moved behind her eyelids; unknowing that she was too exhausted to open her eyes but was listening closely to every word. He stood only a moment to place another blanket over her small frame.

_Told me what? _Clary didn't know what they were talking about but she suspected it was about her.

"I don't know why. But I do suspect Maia knows something about all this she's not telling us."

Alec snorted. "So much for being a team." He spoke sarcastically.

"I don't think she wanted to keep it from us, rather than she had to." Jace replied with a nonchalant expression. "But I am wondering why she called us into action so randomly."

"All she said was that "he knows"." Alec replied before pausing when Jace didn't say anything, tension filled the room. "You don't think…"

"That's exactly what I think." Jace said standing suddenly and walking to Alec, who stood from his position on the doorframe. "I think it's time we asked Maia a few questions."

That was all Clary heard before they both exited the room and she was left with the darkness that soon over took her yet again.

* * *

The pain in her back had subsided and she forced herself into a sitting position in the bed. She was alone and for a quick moment she had a rush of fear that something had happened while she was asleep but after hearing a crash under her floor, she breathed a sigh of relief.

As she inspected the room she found she wasn't at Maia's cottage at all but in a room totally foreign to her. She looked in the corner of the room where a table stood with no vase and she remembered that they must have been at some other residence.

_Amatis_, Clary thought as she inspected the room; it had been the name Alec had said before.

She put her feet on the ground gingerly, taking her time and stood up; her head spun and she had to grab the bed again to prevent herself from falling. The action should have caused her back to throb but she felt oddly good.

Her stomach screamed at her and she couldn't remember when the last time she ate. She opened the door and walked a long hallway that lead to spiraling stairs.

_Amatis must be pretty well off,_ Clary thought.

Another crash came from the closed door at the end if the staircase and she walked toward it; her steps unsteady and uncertain. When she finally came to the bottom of the never ending stairs she found that she had a choke hold on the railing of the stair case. Unlatching her grip she stumbled toward the door in front of her. Clary heard laughter from the other side of the door and knew it was Simon's.

She pushed the swinging door open timidly and almost fell to the floor laughing at the sight in front of her. Simon had a strainer tied around his chest and another tied behind him. He wore a pot on top of his head and a spatula in his hand, which he welded like a weapon.

Maia was similar to him; but, she had pans tied around her and tongs for a weapon. They were in combat and dodging each other's blows, every once in a while clanging pans. Both teens were taking this game to seriously.

"Bow down to the power of my," Simon raised his weapon high in the air. "Spatula!"

"You ain't got nothing on my tongs." Maia replied.

And Clary couldn't hold it any longer she laughed until tears began to pour from her eyes. Simon and Maia turned to her both wide eyed.

"Clary!" They yelled rushing toward her before having to stop in fear of crushing her with the pans still wrapped around their bodies.

"What are you doing?" Clary said wiping the tears from her eyes and unclenching her arms from around her stomach.

Simon looked down at himself before shrugging toward Clary. "We're L.A. ."

All she could do was stare for a moment before having a rush of home sickness. "Oh, I missed you guys." Clary held out her arms. Simon and Maia hugged her awkwardly because the pans were in each of the friend's way but Clary knew this is just what she needed.

* * *

"Okay, so what happened?" Clary said taking another mouthful of Mac N' Cheese.

"Well, you went totally badass on Remus-" Simon said before Maia cut her off.

"And then we figured out that you were bleeding and you fainted-"

"Which was pretty lame on your part."

"Simon!" Clary said opened mouthed.

"What? You were so cool when you were all like "Bite me" and then you had to go and faint."

"Yeah, from blood loss." Clary said with an exasperated laugh.

He held his hands up. "All I'm saying is that move killed your moment of stardom." He laughed jokingly as he wrapped an arm around her small shoulders.

Clary shook her head laughing. "Anyway, continue on."

"Well, then Alec rushed over and said to take you to a friend of theirs place," Simon said.

"Amatis." Clary confirmed with a nod.

Maia threw her a confused look as she turned to look at Clary. "How did you know that?"

Clary shrugged, Simon's arm still around her shoulders as she leaned forward to take another bite of her Mac N' Cheese. "I heard Alec say it before. Who is she, do you know?"

"Yeah, she's a friend of mine too."

Clary threw a confused look at Maia as Simon leaned over Clary to do the same thing. "How do you know her?"

"Through a friend."

Clary blinked and waited for her to explain but she didn't as Clary sighed. Simon grumbled and took his arm away from Clary's shoulder; she didn't blame Simon for being mad she was starting to get mad herself. Maia was keeping them in the dark still, how could they fight something when no one would give them the light to see what they were fighting.

"Well," Clary said after a moment of silence. "Where is she?"

"She's away."

Clary sighed. "Where are Alec and Jace?"

Simon shrugged, answering the question with more than two words unlike Maia would have. "They said they were going to get some food. Since this place is bare."

"They seriously better pick me up something sweet," Maia narrowed her eyes. "Or I'm going to PMS a month early." She smirked and Clary laughed as Simon smiled.

"That's just what we need," Simon shook his head, his shaggy hair swinging in front of his face. "A hormonal Maia. I mean, we've already seen what happens when you piss her off."

"What's that suppose to mean?" She said her eyes narrowed. The three friends shared a laugh before Maia went quite. "Seriously."

Simon rolled his eyes and looked at Clary. "Why do you ask?"

"Because when they get back we have to come up with some sort of plan."

"What kind of plan?" Maia questioned.

"A crazy one." Clary smiled at her.

"You're just in luck," Maia smiled back. "Those happen to be my specialty."

* * *

**I promise the romance is coming soon!**

**Review.**


	7. More Like Medusa

**This is a sort story, sorry. **

**Madisa belongs to me, sadly, nothing else does.**

* * *

"God I'm so bored!" Simon hung his head upside down staring at Clary and Maia across the room. "Let's go do something." He said hopping back into a normal sitting position a big smile on his face.

"You want us to go do something?" Maia gave him a look as Simon nodded. She pointed out the large window to the right of her seat. "Outside?" Simon smiled and nodded again, gaining excitement. Maia stared at him for a second her mouth open. "Are you stupid?" Simon frowned, his face scrunched up and his lips tight and small.

"Maia!" Clary looked at her stunned from her position at the window. She knew that sometimes Maia, Simon and herself teased each other saying things like "You're so weird" or the occasional "I hate you" but they had never meant it. As Clary looked Maia in the eye she knew she meant every word. The whole situation was taking a toll on all of them.

He turned to Maia. "I don't know who crapped in your Cheerios-" By this point he was standing and staring down at Maia.

"It's pissed in your corn flakes!" Maia yelled and stood up too.

"OH WHATEVER!" Simon yelled back and took a step forward, Maia matched her step and they stood nose to nose; as if challenging each other in a silent way, just by stance.

"Alright, alright!" Clary said rushing forward; putting herself between both Simon and Maia, she placed what she hoped to be a comforting hand on both of their shoulders. "We both know this isn't about being bored or about Cheerios."

Simon fell back and sprawled on the couch. "It's all about the Cheerios!" Simon threw his hands over his eyes.

"Well, come on!" Maia swiveled around to look at Clary. She saw that Maia's face was completely serious.

"Maybe, I wouldn't be so ignorant and stupid if you just explained to us what the hell is going on Maia." Simon said in outrage, straightening in the large floral couch.

"I can't do that yet!" Maia shouted back.

"Bullshit!"

In that moment, she wished Alec and Jace were back. She felt her eyes wander to the front door; there was a nice wooden table with a vase of roses. Clary studied the table further to see a set of car keys resting there.

_How did they get to the store? _Clary silently wondered.

"Guys, stop." Clary said trying to stop the fight that was brewing between the two teens.

"He wants to go somewhere while there's a crazy warlock," Maia was swinging her arms in the air as if searching for the right word. "Is waiting around ready to kill you or worse we don't know! And he wants to go outside and do something because he's bored!" She threw her arms in the air.

"What?" Clary said wide-eyed. "What did you say?"

Maia was breathing heavily her chest rising and falling, her nostrils flaring with rage before she blinked slowly confused. "That Simon wants to go somewhere because a crazy war—" Maia stared forward wide-eyed.

"You said warlock." Clary said with wide-eyes as Simon slowly stood from his seat as shocked as she was. How could she have been so stupid! Of course, there are more than just werewolves! If they existed, why not warlocks or vampires? Why not mummies and zombies and dragons?

"I didn't—" Maia began before the house started to slightly shake and rumble before stopping just as soon as if started. "Please tell me that was your stomach, Simon." Maia said

"Okay, now, that was just a fat joke." Simon said leaning back.

The room rumbled again and the paintings on the walls beginning to quiver.

"Either something really bad is about to happen," Simon said looking around the room warily. "Or the house is really angry." He locked eyes with Clary. "I'm really hoping for the second option."

The house rocked again around them more violently before falling still.

Too still.

"I think we should go." Clary blindly grabbed to both Simon's and Maia's hands.

"I think that would be for the best." Maia nodded her head towards Clary. The three friends rushed to the master staircase.

"I would like to point out that both of you have gotten rather bossy since the day at that club," Simon said while they ran. He paused on the staircase bringing both the other two girls to a halt. He poked Clary in the stomach causing her to let out a squeak. "You especially Clar-"

The front door soared across the room and a black creature stood in the doors place. Its fur moved from a nonexistent wind and seemed to flow like tentacles. It stood on four legs and was about the size of a van. Clary's eyes widened when she saw its claws. They were the size of her hands and its eyes were of the darkest of red.

And were trained right on them.

Clary didn't wait for Simon and Maia, who always seemed prepared looked surprised, to return from their trance. She dragged them both up another step and as she was about to come to the top of the stairs a voice stopped her.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." The voice was harsh, much harsher than that of Remus's. It was a smoker's voice, one only made from an excess amount of cigarettes. It was ugly and foul, but the face the voice belonged to was that of beauty.

A woman stood beside the beast; her hair, also, moved by a nonexistent wind. It was as black as the purest, darkest of nights; one that wasn't lit by a full moon, her face was as beautiful as Jace's.

Though while Jace's was sculpted by angels this woman seemed to have been sculpted by demons; she was seductive but in a way that meant your death. Jace seduced with his gaze, to win his love would have been a gift.

To be seduced by her would be a curse.

Clary had never seen a woman more stunning nor had she ever seen a woman more terrifying. Simon tightened his hold on Clary's hand so much it hurt. She brushed a few stray red curls that escaped from her pony-tail from her face.

"My baby will think you are running from me, my dear Clarissa." Her eyes were a burnt orange, the color of a fading sun, they seemed to churn and twist. Clary had never seen so many beautiful eyes in one week; at least, she thought it was a week all the days seem to have blended together.

"Okay, seriously, how do all these people know your name? It's starting to really creep me out." Simon said in a mock whisper.

"SILENCE!" Clary didn't think the woman before them could raise her voice that high. All three friends involuntarily took a step back. The creature at the door showed its teeth, rows of them. From its gums fell a black ooze and its teeth were sharper and larger then a butchers knife. They were stained with red. They had been recently used and Clary shuttered at whoever had suffered from such a fate.

A fate she would soon share, they would all share.

The woman laughed at all Clary's face which she had, no doubt, showed fear. "Do not run, for if you run he shall chase you. You will engage a game of cat and mouse." She pointed toward them. "You all will be the mice. The poor sad mice." She smiled. "Clarissa, come with me and you can save your friends," She placed a hand on the beast and Clary thought if the creature had, had ears they would have perked up. "From such a horrible fate."

"Who are you?" Clary whispered and in no way should the woman be able to hear but she did for she replied.

"You may call me, Madisa." She smirked.

"More like Medusa." Simon whispered.

Madisa locked her gaze on Simon, her eyes burning like fire. "You dare open your mouth again, mundane," She sneered. "You may find you have no tongue."

Simon's eyes widened and he gulped noticeably. Not even Maia had anything to say. She simply took her stand in front of them, neither she nor Simon protested them time.

"Now, Clarissa, come along I don't have all day." She said impatiently.

"Don't I have a choice?" Clary asked.

"Of course you do." She smiled up at the creature next to her. "Though I would choose wisely for your friends may pay the price."

Clary furrowed her coppery eyebrows. To say no would be throwing her friends to their deaths. It should have been just her life on the line. It should have been just her trying to seek answers to her questions but she has been too scared to embark on this journey alone.

Why was she such a coward? Why couldn't she stand up for what she believed alone?

_"It's always good to know you can stand alone,"_ Clary's heart broke as a voice entered her mind; the voice of her mother. _"But sometimes you can find the courage to fight greater things with the people who love you at your side."_

Clary closed her eyes in sorrow, _I love you, mother._

_"How much?"_ She could practically hear her mother laugh.

_To the moon and back,_ Clary would reply and she could almost feel her mother kiss her forehead.

"Clarissa," Madisa voice broke through Clary's subconscious. "You really are trying my patience." She was scowling when Clary opened her eyes.

A laugh entered the room and Clary's stomach started to flutter with butterflies; as a figure walked into the room those butterflies changed to wasps.

Jace.

He had come to save them. He looked wonderful, dressed in a black shirt and dark wash jeans. And as Alec walked in beside him, his bow at the ready she knew she had never seen two more beautiful people.

"I see you've made friends with Tweddle Dee and Tweedle Dumb. " Madisa smiled.

"Wait, am I Dee or Dumb?" Jace said with a raise of his hand. "I think I should be Dee because this face can't do Dumb." Jace grinned showing off his pearly whites.

"Please, Jace, does your arrogant ways know no bounds?" Madisa flirted and Clary felt a flicker of something when Jace answered back.

"With a face like this," Jace pointed to himself. "I don't have too."

Was it jealousy?

Madisa laughed and, even though she was obviously evil, Clary could picture Jace and Madisa together.

Beautiful people belong with beautiful people, right?

So, why couldn't she be beautiful? Why couldn't she deserve him too?

Clary frowned, another thought entered her mind.

Why did she want to?

"As fun as this is," Jace said faking a smile. "And believe me I'm having a blast." His face went serious. "I must insist that you," He pointed to the beast. "And your hell hound take your leave."

Madisa stared hard at Jace a slow seductive smile spreading on her face. Her body was disappearing, a black mist in her place. Clary watched as the mist flowed toward Jace and his body grew tense as did Alec's. And as the mist took Madisa's form again she had her body coiled around his.

Madisa wrapped her thin, wonderfully exquisite leg around Jace's waist. One hand curled around his neck, the other laid daintily across his chest. "Why so tense, Jace?"

Alec had his bow poised at the ready; his blue eyes seemed to shine brighter and his mop of black hair fell perfectly around his head, like a black halo.

She leaned into him. "Think about all the things we can do." Alec took a step toward Jace; Clary found herself taking an involuntary step too, her stomach twisting in odd knots. A feeling she'd never had before; at least, not sense she was a child and another child had gotten something she'd wanted. Simon hissed at her before yanking her back a step; Maia threw them both a look over her shoulder. Maia's eyes told her to run, but Clary didn't want to run this time but knew she had too. She couldn't have Simon getting hurt, not because of her.

"Don't listen, Jace." Alec said and the growling hell hound snarled his teeth at him, from the steps Maia let out a growl too; as she leaped into the air she changed form and when she landed in front of Alec she was a large brown wolf. Her own gums salivated as the hound snarled at Maia. Clary saw the opening door; both enemies were busy with whatever they were doing. She could get Simon to safety; if they were quick she could get him away.

"Nothing would be better," Madisa leaned her face close to his. His chiseled features were glazed over as if she was putting seductive images into his mind and it was, indeed, seducing him. "Then the things we could do with each other." She smiled as if she had him right where she wanted him and maybe she did, Clary didn't know, but what she did know was that she was not happy about this situation. She was even more unhappy about the leg that snaked its way around Jace's waist, rubbing his inner thigh slowly.

Not happy at all.

But as Jace's gaze traveled up the staircase to her eyes, Clary knew Madisa didn't even have a grasp on him.

"I can think of a few things." Clary burned under his scorching gaze, her body felt her body sparking to life under her hot stare and as Madisa followed his gaze to hers a snarl took over her face; just when she thought Madisa, had no reason to hate her.

Madisa disappeared and reappeared, before anyone could yell out or blink, standing before Clary. "Well, it seems you have been struck by Cupid, haven't you, Jace." She shot her hand out and it closed around Clary's wrist; she let out a surprised shriek. Madisa threw her head back and let out a cackle. "This is what you choose to lust for." She scanned her eyes up and down Clary and let out a disgusted grunt. "Well, you're just lucky I always liked you, Jace. I can let this slide, but I am surprised." She smiled sickly sweet. "I thought you knew that love is nothing but a fairytale parents make up to help their children sleep at night. 'To love is to destroy'. Isn't that right, Jace?" She spared a glance over her shoulder at shockingly golden boy and Clary watched as something like vulnerability flickered across his face, but as soon as she saw it, it disappeared. His face was completely blank, free of all emotions, and she began to wonder if she had really seen anything at all.

She struggled to get out of Madisa's grip and Jace took a step toward them, the hell hound let out another growl and took a step toward them as well. "Let her go."

"Why, Jace," Madisa smiled at him. "I'm just helping take out the trash." And with that she put another hand around Clary's small, trim waist and hoisted her up. "Besides, Ms. Fray is to come with me anyway, seeing as Remus is a failure."

Clary screamed as her feet left the ground.

"No!" Alec yelled leaping forward and readying an arrow on his taut bow.

"Clary!" Jace yelled and turned his attention back to the snarling beast that everyone seemed to forget as it leaped toward Alec. "**ALEC**!"

As Alec looked over his shoulder, he managed to duck as the hound soared toward him and snapped his strong jaws; he launched an arrow at the creature in the same breath. It landed with a satisfying "thunk" in the beast's hind leg and it let out a yelp.

Madisa turned her head to see what had happened and Simon took that moment to shove her. As she fell back two steps she dropped Clary to regain her balance and she landed hard on the steps.

Simon grabbed Clary's arm, hauled her up and behind him. He put his scrawny arms around her, his back to her, and creating a protective bubble around her. She felt her heart being pulled as she smiled; she thought it was cute how Simon thought he could actually protect her from Madisa.

The dark-haired beauty crackled, her voice was as sweet as vinegar. "That may have worked with Remus but he is nothing compared to me." Her eyes got bright and seemed to glow with an unnatural fire. "You don't know what you got yourself into, you pathetic mundane."

Simon shrugged breathlessly. "I think pathetic is going a bit far."

Clary stepped out from behind Simon, standing beside him trying to pretend she had courage that she obviously didn't. "You aren't going to touch, Simon. I'm not going to let you." Clary wished her hands wouldn't shake when she said it, it might make was she was saying more convincing.

Madisa laughed again. "How cute. You care too much, my child." She stared hard at her. "It will no doubt be your downfall."

Clary screamed as Madisa launched herself toward them.

And all she could think of was: how was she supposed to beat something that wasn't even human?

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	8. Reckless Driving

**Another day, another chapter.**

**My mom is snoring right now...hehehe it's funny!**

**Hey, I would also like to give a shout out to all the people who reviewed. I love it when you do. **

**Disclaimer: I own diddly-squat and Cassandra Clare owns the world.**

**Happy?**

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Everything happened in a matter of seconds. Clary watched as Jace slammed his body into the hell hound's body, they both flew back in a crumpled heap. They were tangled in a knot of arms and legs, over couch, chairs and glass table; Jace pulled his head back, just in time, as the hound snapped its jaws closed. Maia darted forward, her hind leg pushing her as she leaped at Madisa's pet. Jace jumped out from under the hound and over the ruined couch as Maia crashed her body right into the hell hound's. With the hell hound occupied and Jace surging toward where Simon and Clary stood, Nuriel glowing like a beckon of righteous in his hands; it gave Alec just the right amount of time to raise his bow and arrow.

Take aim.

Let go.

Right into Madisa's side.

Seconds.

Clary watched as the force of the arrow caused her body to fly into the banister; it gave away from the weight being shoved against it. Madisa fell and lay in a crumpled heap of wood and black ooze. She watched as her hair, almost looking like a liquid, gathered at the wounded area and began to stitch her skin back. Clary couldn't believe her eyes as Madisa stood back up; her skanky, clingy red dress was stained with a darker crimson from a wound that was no longer there.

Clary locked her green eyes with Alec's blue orbs again and read his lips.

_Run_.

She nodded once before she turned on her heels and charged down the hallway; turning around for only a minute to make sure Simon was following, which he was but so was a twirling, dark, black smoke. She had seen it before; she knew exactly what it was.

Madisa.

They passed by door after door, never stopping to check how close Madisa was. Doors flew open behind them, all the things from within came shooting out like a tornado. Clary let out a scream as Simon caught up to her, his palm pressed against the middle of her back. Papers, glass figurines and blankets made loud sounds as they banged against the opposite wall. A door just in front of Clary opened and a large, wooden dresser came shooting forward; Clary was going much too fast to stop and let out another scream but the dresser couldn't fit through the door and hit it with a bang bending the door frame.

Clary didn't need to look back, she could feel Madisa right on their tails; she didn't know if Jace and Alec were running after them but she could only guess this was the case. She hoped Maia didn't get hurt, though Maia seemed to know what she was doing much more than Clary did.

Turning down another corner, she charged up another flight of stairs. She mentally thanked Amatis for having such a big house. There were no dead ends, at least not yet.

Shoving open a door at the top of the staircase, Clary knew she had jinxed them. She and Simon were on the very top of Amatis's estate, outside on a flat area that reminded her of the very top of their own apartment complex. There was nowhere to go but down and Madisa was blocking the only way of escape. Clary didn't think they would survive the jump from the top to the ground.

Simon came charging through the door, slammed it closed and pushed against it. Clary took that moment to look over the edge, she shuttered to herself. They would never survive that, no one could.

She rolled her eyes; no one human that is.

At least, there apartment complex had a fire escape.

_A fire escape_! Clary thought, her eyes scanning over the vacant top. _Why did the top of Amatis's house have a flat surface?_

It left her mind the moment she saw a rusty ladder, rushing to it she saw it didn't go all the way to the ground. Like someone had started to take it apart, Clary mentally cursed whoever did it.

Studying it further she saw that it ended at a window. Clary prayed that if there was a God to make the window be unlocked. She rushed back to where Simon was struggling to keep the door closed. Clary smirked at him before turning the lock and taking Simon by the hand.

"Why didn't I think of that?" Simon asked breathlessly, his shaggy hair was mused more than usual and his glasses were completely knocked off his face. She studied him silently for a moment; she never noticed how handsome Simon was without his glasses. His eyes were browner and his face more rugged, a slight shadow of an unshaved beard. She never noticed how grown Simon had gotten, in her mind he was still a young, lanky geek. She hadn't noticed his slight transformation.

Shaking her head, she tugged on Simon's hand pulling him toward the rusty ladder she pointed down. "Okay, go all the way down to the window and don't stop."

Clary shoved Simon closer to the edge and he jumped back his hands raised in front of him. "Why do I have to go first," He poked the ladder as if it disgusted him. "I mean, do we even know if this thing is safe?"

Clary rolled her eyes shoving Simon forward again. "Would you just go!"

"Why don't you go?" Simon said exasperated. "You're the one that weighs less than a paper clip."

"Okay, that was such an under exaggeration-"

The door to the top of the roof bent inward as something forceful slammed against it. Simon and Clary whipped their heads around and watched with frightened eyes as the entire rooftop went silent. The sun beat down on them from its spot in the sky, though Clary couldn't feel its comforting warmth. All she felt was a cold, icy chill as she waited in horror. The door gave a high squeal as it bent at an impossible angle again.

"Go down the ladder." Clary said pushing Simon but never taking her eyes off the whining door.

"Uh huh, yep. Going." Simon answered as he grabbed onto the ladder's handles. The door at the far end of the corner let out another groan.

As Simon stepped onto the ladder it shook a little but remained intact and he hurried down the rest of the steps coming to a stop at the closed window. He gripped it so hard at the window's frame Clary could see Simon's hands turning white; she bit her lip and waited.

It slowly rose and in that moment she could have just cried with relief. Simon hopped back up and extended his hand to Clary, she took it graciously and they hurried down the window; which was only open half way. The other friends each placed a hand on the end of the sill and heaved upward; shoving the window fully up at the same time a blast came from above them.

Madisa had finally gotten in. Simon didn't even glance above him as he scrambled through the window, Clary right behind him. They slammed the window shut and just stood, listening in the dimly lit room.

Clary realized just then that it was just about dusk, another day was just about to close. She wondered if this had never happened what they would all be doing.

Would Maia be baking? Would Simon be video gaming? What would Clary be doing? Painting? Probably. To think that not too long ago that was exactly what each of them would be doing seemed impossible.

As Clary looked around the room she saw this was exactly the room she was in just this morning. Her eyes wandered to the bed; she remembered all their faces as they promised to be here for her when she woke up. Maia, who had smiled softly; Simon, who had squeezed her shoulder and grinned; Alec, who had looked astonished but nodded anyway. And Jace; he had sat right next to her, his hand engulfing her own. The simple gesture had not only warmed her hand but her whole body. She had been consumed in all that Jace was.

Gold.

A screech followed by a howl was heard outside their window and Clary charged toward the door. She ran down the hallway for what was the 3rd time today and stopped at the master staircase. Breathing heavily her eyes scanned over the living room threshold.

Windows were shattered and the couch was torn apart. Black ooze covered the floors and coated the walls but from what Clary could see there was no blood; though it could have been under all that black.  
Simon arrived and almost smacked right into her. "Maia!" Simon yelled and charged down the stairs. She ran down the steps after him, taking two at a time and stumbling down about half of them, trying to stop him. Clary grabbed Simon's sweatshirt hood and yanked him back.

She was surprised when Simon didn't turn around and push her back; all he did was stare wide-eyed and afraid. Clary followed his gaze feeling her eyes widened as well, when she saw Jace and Alec locked in a battle with the ravenous hell hound.

She watched as they each moved with stealth and grace. Jace looked as frightening as a lion and Alec balanced each blow looked like a panther. She had never seen anything so beautiful and so gruesome.

"We have to get it of here." Simon said as he turned to Clary. "They may not be doing too bad but were not doing too good."

"We can't beat Madisa." Maia's voice spoke up from behind Clary as the small red-head jumped with fright. Maia was torn apart, her shirt was in tatters and the skin on her waist looked like it had gone through a cheese shredder. She looked like a piece of mangled meat, her legs shook as her body began to collapse.

"Oh my God! Maia!" Clary exclaimed jumping forward and wrapping her arms around her friend. Maia's weight had her stumbling back a few steps and the motion caused Maia to wince. "We have to get you to a hospital!"

The mocha beauty shook her head, her brown eyes showed her pain. "No, I heal fast. I'll be fine." As she spoke she winced. Clary may not have liked the idea of not taking her to a hospital but she understood and it did look like Maia's wounded were getting better.

"Where is Madisa?" Simon said wrapping Maia's toned arm around his neck, shouldering most of the weight off Clary.

Maia curled her lip up in disgust. "She's watching the show."

Clary followed Maia's gaze to where Jace and Alec where moving fluidly, like dancers. Each made a blow and placed their feet perfectly in position to retreat. The poor hell hound stood no chance Clary, herself, was mesmerized watching Jace. He moved with a sort of hypnotizing grace, moving his feet in just a way that his opponent couldn't catch him; flipping, dodging, twirling and slashing. His blonde hair like woven gold and as the fading sun shined down it made him look like he was sporting a halo. It was as beautiful as it was grotesque. Part of Clary wished to be apart of that, but it was a small part and easy to ignore.

"Madisa won't wait for long," Simon looked back to where the action was. "We have to get out of here, the faster the better."

Clary's eyes looked around and landed at the front doors table, that now lay in a heap splinters and glass. Rushing over Clary drove her bare hands into the mess cutting herself on the glass, she clenched on to the object that had been there hours before.

Car keys!

"Let's get out then," Clary ran toward the kitchen. "While we still can."

Simon followed Clary stumbling along in a rushed fashion, dragging Maia with him, through the kitchen's swinging door and past the counter toward the back door. She pushed it open and saw it lead to a garage, pressing the unlock button on the car key she waited to see which car it was. A loud beep sounded throughout the enclosed space and the lights on a small red sports car, that could barely fit three people, blinked on. She took only a moment to take awe at the vehicle, before grabbing hold of the car door and yanking.

"I had a dream about this once," Simon said frowning a moment. "Only you were dead-" He pointed to Maia.

"Hey!"

"And I was King of everything." He smiled thoughtfully, adjusting his hold on Maia. "Yeah, that was a good dream."

"Hey, King Simon," Maia smacked him in the back of the head. "Get in the car."

Simon rubbed his head. "What was that for?" He said outraged.

Maia raised an eyebrow and smiled. "You killed me." Simon frowned and narrowed his eyes.

"This isn't over, Roberts."

"I didn't plan on it, Lewis."

Clary got into driver and shoved the key into the ignition. "Come on!"

"And for another thing," Simon said outraged. "Why do you always get to drive?"

Clary smiled at him. "Because I have the keys."

"Yeah, well, I'll remember this moment in the future when I'm filthy rich and have like a million cars." Simon stuck out his tongue at the petite red head. "And you're not driving any of them."

Just as Clary let out a laugh and was about to make a snide reply, the glass window in the kitchen blew inward and Remus strolled in. Literally, strolled like he hadn't a care in the world; he turned and locked eyes with Clary and she felt her heart stop as she let out a scream. She barely managed to press the button for the garage opener and put the car in reverse.

Simon, shoving Maia into the back ungraciously, jumped into the car all earlier complaints forgotten and Clary floored the car into reverse not waiting for the garage to open all the way. This resulted in the hood nicking the garage door. Clary continued to scream as a ball of red fire erupted in the garage space, jamming the gear into forward she floored it down the driveway and on to the lawn.

"WE'RE GONNA DIE!" Simon screamed, frantically clawing at the upholstery in the back seat.

Maia looked at him and placed a hand on his shoulder. "We're not gonna die," Maia looked back forward, her eyes widening as she stared out the back windshield. "OH MY GOD, WE'RE GONNA DIE!"

Clary rammed the car into the snarling hell hound at that moment, the creature let out a scream as it toppled over. Arrows were embedded in many areas of the beast's body and Clary watched as Jace took this pristine moment to run forward and leap, sinking his sword-thing that he called Nuriel, into the creature's chest. Right before Clary's eyes she watched as the beast let out a burgled noise before bursting into dust.

She stared wide eyed as a heart broken scream filled the air, Madisa had been watching. She had seen her beast parish. Clary pulled the door open as Alec leaped into passenger, closing it with a bang. A blue ball of fire hit the ground just to Clary's right and everyone let out a yell.

"JACE!" Alec yelled as Jace charged toward them. Clary managed to open the door a split second before he launched himself forward and as soon as he leaped in, his body sprawled in the front seat across Clary and Alec, she took off with the car door still open and Jace's feet hanging out. She tried to ignore how Jace's hard body felt like across her soft legs but it was hard. She could feel the many weapons he stashed in his pants and she tried not to pay attention to how his hips ground into her thighs. Her hands gripping the steering wheel tightened.

Jace managed to shimmy his way to the back with Maia and Simon; Alec leaned over Clary and closed the door just as another ball of fire came.

"Sweet Jesus." Maia said, in a breathless fashion.

"What?" Jace asked and followed her hand as she pointed forward.

"Oh Lord!" Simon yelled.

"**Hang on**!" Clary said with a wince as they rammed right into the Amatis's front gate. It gave with a crash and with a hard turn to the left, that had the teens swerving a little afterward, took off toward who knows where.

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**Well, it seems our friends are save for today! **

**Who's after them? Why? What is Maia keeping from Clary and Simon?**

**Keep reading to figure it out :D**

**Review!**


	9. All for One and One for All?

**I own nothing!**

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Jace started laughing hysterically, from the adrenaline, no doubt; but when Maia starting laughing like a manic too, Clary found herself questioning both their sanity. Her stomach was clenching like it was trying not to empty itself. Her hands were clenching the wheel too tightly, her body was shaking now. Her brain was running over how close they were to being killed _again_ and she was beyond insane now. She could feel the last bit of her logic being thrown out the window. To beat whoever was after them, logic and reality wasn't going to cut it; since known of this was logical.

After high-fiving Maia, Jace leaned back curling an arm around her shoulders. "You guys make things exciting!" Simon and Maia turned and raised an eyebrow at Jace. "I knew there was a reason we were keeping you two around."

"Wait, there are three of us. Did you forget what comes after two, Sunshine?" Simon said smirking at Jace, who was smashing him into the car door with his board shoulders. Clary saw there was a suspicious amount of room on Maia's side of the car.

Jace smirked at Simon, as Clary watched in the rear-view mirror. The differences between the two boys were astounding. Simon's face was round and held a boyish-charm, while Jace's angular jaw, sharp cheekbones, and his chin square made him look absurdly handsome. Simon's hair was straight and shaggy; Jace had a cluster of blindingly golden curls that fell in a tousled mess to his shoulders. Simon was lanky and there was something about him that was endearingly cute. Jace held an air of danger and mystery, his black shirt constricting against his toned form. He was the boy that you rebelled with; Simon was the boy that you brought home for mom and dad.

"No, four-eyes, I was only referring to two people." Jace smirked larger as Simon scowled. "We don't want you around; you're just the lost puppy that tags along."

Simon narrowed his eyes at Jace before turning forward facing Clary. "So where are we off to?"

"Where we were supposed to go before," Clary nodded to Maia. "Maia's friend's cottage."

Simon frowned. "And where is that exactly?"

That was when Clary really thought about where they were going; she hadn't thought to ask, never even considered it. She was in full fight-or-flight mode and she was running from the place they were attacked without any thought as to where they were actually going.

A comforting hand was place on her shoulder, it was outrageously hot and Clary's eyes momentarily flicked over her seat to see Maia's comforting face. Why had se never noticed how much hotter Maia was before? "Pull over, Clare. I'll drive from here, okay?"

Clary absentmindedly nodded and began to pull the car over to the shoulder. They were in the middle of nowhere; green pastures were as far as the eye could see. Farms were spaced out evenly with miles between them. The sun was still up in the sky, light the blue horizon in bright colors. She moved her hands with numb fingers to her seat belt; she probably looked like a mess. Her bright red curls were probably in tangles and lanky from lack of wash. She could feel her body slowly shutting down, from shock, most definitely but she couldn't be certain. Her head was too fuzzy to make anything out.

She opened the door and felt the cold burst of wind make her hair fly back. Her body was too numb to fully respond to the oncoming chill. "Clary?"

She hadn't noticed that she was just standing in front of the small red sports car, hugging her elbows and staring at the expanse of rural land. "Clary?"

The comforting hand that was place on her shoulder made her flinch this time. Her stomach clenched again with unease and she wanted answers. That was the only way to make her feel right again, at least, a little more normal than before. "What is going on, Maia?"

Maia blinked at her before she swallowed. "What do you mean?"

Clary narrowed her eyes, the wind whipped her hair around her head; moving the strands together they were in an intricate dance. Twirling and knotting, like two lovers in an intimate waltz. Her small hands were curled into fists at her sides, her fingernails stabbing into the flesh of her palms. "You know _exactly_ what I mean, Maia." She groaned and felt an unusual fury swirl in her stomach. "What kind of friend are you?" Clary exclaimed, throwing her hands up into the air before clenching them into fists again.

"I thought you were done freaking out?"

"I was," Clary said through tight lips and closed teeth. "But that was before a large _hell hound_ and a woman that had healing hair came after me too! I've been good and patient but I can't wait anymore. I need to know what the hell is going on and I need to know now."

"Tell her, Maia. She deserves to know."

Clary whipped her head around expecting Simon to be standing at her aid but it was Jace's gleaming hair shining off the setting sun. She felt empowered, somehow, with Jace standing right behind her, like he was giving her his strength. Maia stared at Jace for a moment before she sighed. "Okay, I'll tell you _some_," Maia held up a hand. "_Some_ of what you need to know. That's all I can give you until we meet up with my alpha."

Clary nodded slowly, accepting what she could get. "Okay."

Maia bit her lip as if she didn't really want to say what she was about to say. "I was sent to protect you from the people who are seeking you now."

Clary blinked, she had not expected that. "But—"

"I was sent by my alpha to hide you away and to make sure no one caught your scent. That's all I can tell you for now."

Clary felt a stab of pain in her chest, something she had never felt before. "You…you were supposed to be my friend? It was all a lie?"

Maia shut her eyes in remorse. "I was supposed to get close to you to protect you. I became your friend because of who you were. Not because of anything else, I swear."

Clary felt a new weight being placed on her shoulders. She felt betrayed and hurt, she felt used and worthless. She had been played by her best friend; for her own well being, sure, but how could she believe in her friendship with Maia now? Now that it was based on lies and deceit? Was Maia Roberts even her real name? Her legs felt like they couldn't keep her up as she felt the new weight weighing her down, her legs folded and Jace wrapped his arms around her waist to keep her up. She placed her whole body weight against his chest, letting him keep her up.

He was a stranger, a _good-looking_ stranger sure, but still a stranger. And yet, with him holding her up, she trusted him. She needed someone to lean on and Jace was right here. He was so strong and manly, she needed him to curl her up and take her hurt away. Or, at least, she needed someone too.

"Clary—"

"Not now, Maia." Clary mumbled. "I just need…I just need time." She smiled slightly before she stood on her own two feet, pulling herself slowly away from Jace. Turning she saw Simon and Alec standing with their bodies half-in, half-out of the sports car; the expression on Simon's face probably reflecting hers. She cleared her throat and addressed Maia again. "We should stop and pick up my truck; it will have more room than this car."

Maia nodded before heading for the driver's seat of the hot-rod red sports car. Clary opened the backdoor and slid in between Jace and Simon, both of whom sent her worried looks as she stared vacantly out the wind-shield. She hadn't even noticed that she had been clenching onto Jace's hand long before she had gotten inside the car.

And he was tightly squeezing her hand back.

* * *

Alec nodded as Simon spoke up. "Won't you guys need your clothes?"

Maia added, from her seat behind Clary's truck's steering wheel. "And tooth brushes?"

They had stopped at the souvenir shop with wide-eyes as they took in the cleaned up shop. Clary couldn't believe her eyes, literally, she had seen the glass flying toward her. She remembered the smell of rot and decay when Remus had bleed, right in front of her. She remembered the sting of her back as she rolled across glass. It couldn't have been a dream, but here was the proof. She was crazy.

The glass had been perfectly intact, the doors were on their hinges and all the aisles were in rows and columns not a thing out of place. She was going crazy and yet… she couldn't have made up that hell hound or how Madisa had looked at her with pure hatred burning in her orange eyes. Nor could she have made up Maia.

Or, how she had betrayed her.

"Let me guess," Simon said as he had stood beside Clary completely straight faced. "We'll learn about this later?"

Maia had swallowed hard, as she had been trying to swallow back her guilt. She closed her eyes and nodded with a frown. Clary had taken note that Maia's shirt was torn beyond repair but her waist was healed, not even a battle scar to show the peril she had faced. Alec had simply furrowed his eyebrows in concern before placing a hand on Maia's shoulder; something about the way he did it had made Clary hear a muffled voice.

"_I don't know why. But I do suspect Maia knows something about all this she's not telling us."_

_Alec snorted. "So much for being a team." He spoke sarcastically._

Clary had concentrated hard on that hand, feeling something odd stir in her. Maia and Alec seemed to be familiar, even with Jace. What had Alec meant by a team?

The question still nagged at her hours later.

"Yeah, cause if you guys don't brush your teeth," Simon looked from Alec , who sat beside Maia in front to Jace, who had taken the seat next to her, before folding his arms and looking out the window. "That's just nasty."

"We'll go back once you're all settled in," Alec smiled at the Simon and Clary, though she hadn't said a word, in the back before laying a hand on Maia's shoulder. "And safe." He smiled at her and she smiled back and from the corner of Clary's eye she saw Jace stare hard at her as she watched the exchange between Maia and Alec before turning his attention out the window.

"Thanks." Maia replied warmly.

"How are you going to go back?" Clary questioned. "The whole place is trashed."

"With a capital T." Simon added and Maia rolled her eyes.

"Everything will be as it was when we get back." Alec said in return.

The perfectly intact store flashed through Clary's mind again.

"And how do you know this?" Simon asked. "Because where I was standing it looked like we pissed off some pretty important and powerful people. I don't think they'll be calling Home Improvement any time soon." He shrugged, his eyes squinting from his lack of glasses. "Although, I thought the same thing about the store and look how that turned out."

Clary tried and failed to raise an eyebrow. "Unless you've been through this before..." She trailed off waiting for the two testosterone fueled teens to fill in the blanks. And when she was greeted with silence, Clary waited as Maia frowned.

"Someone better answer my question," Clary stared hard at the two boys. One of a dark make up the other purely made of gold. She couldn't believe what she was saying, but she couldn't seem to stop herself. "Or so help me I will tear off something very dear to you below the waist." She turned to a wide-eyed Jace and smiled less then innocently, suddenly she didn't feel as trusting as before. "Mess with me, pretty boy." She narrowed her eyes. "I dare you."

Jace smirked and opened his mouth to no doubt to say something with a hidden innuendo inside but Alec spoke first, swiveling in his seat to look Clary directly in the eye. "Because Besmic's team can't stand failure." He looked at Clary. "And because of you they've failed, twice actually."

"What?" Clary questioned, this was not what she had been expecting.

"You distracted Remus long enough for me to get to him," Jace leaned over and pushed her shoulder with a smile as if he was proud. "And you got us away from Remus, Madisa and that hell hound. In one piece, which is saying a lot."

Clary remembered something that Alec had said before that had peaked her interest. "So wait, who is this Besmic?" Clary asked

"Is this another really weird name?" Simon questioned.

"No, duh Sherlock." Maia looked at Simon who continued as if uninterrupted.

"Because all these people are starting to sound like salad dressings to me." Simon ended.

Clary laughed. "I have to agree with Simon on this one."

"He's the group's…" Alec paused. "Advisor."

"What group?" Simon asked

"Advisor?" Clary said at the same time Simon spoke.

"Remus, Madisa Queen of Seduction and Sebastian. You met two of the three and let's hope you never have to meet Sebastian." Maia answered.

"What's wrong with Sebastian?" Clary asked looking toward Jace, who had his gold eyes locked on her.

"All I can think of is the dancing red crab. You know?" Simon said looking at Jace, who raised an eyebrow at him. "Unda da sea! Unda da sea!" Simon sang in his bad Jamaican accent.

"Just trust me," Jace answered his tone serious, cutting Simon off with only a glance. "You never want to meet him."

"But why?" Simon persisted.

"Because you won't live to see the next day." Jace's voice was hard and stone cold. She shivered at his tone; something in it told her he had experience behind his voice. But that couldn't be right could it? Because Jace was still here, at least, she thought he was, maybe only half of him was there maybe something inside him died. Something that not even time could fix. "And if you do, you'll wish you hadn't."

* * *

"So, were screwed basically?" Simon asked from his seat at Maia's kitchen table having gotten to the cottage in one piece and without any more set backs.

"Well, Remus will be back-" Alec said.

Clary shook her head and winced remembering what Alec had told them earlier. "Isn't that the least of our problems?" Lifting her head from her hands, she looked at all her friends, each wearing their own concerned faces. "From what you told us we really should be concerned about Madisa. She's more powerful than Remus, right?"

Alec nodded once. "But they both failed, remember?"

Simon nodded as Clary cocked her head to the side, her red curls cascading down her shoulder."So?"

Alec looked at Clary as if to acknowledge her before looking back at Simon. "And since Remus failed the first time, Besmic sent in Madisa and now she's failed too."

"Again, I ask, so?" Simon said again.

"He'll send in the next one in the group." He waited for the answer to kick in.

"Sebastian." Clary whispered wide eyed.

Jace stiffened visibly from his seat next to her on the couch. Maia looked at Clary concern and protectiveness came off her in waves. Simon stared hard at the table before looking at Clary too.

"So, wait, why did Remus appear in the house then?" Simon said breaking the silence.

"Because even though they're supposed to be a team," Alec said disgusted. "They're actually trying to outdo the other; to outperform each other."

"Secretly their all hoping the other will fall flat on their face." Jace added and Simon and Maia laughed; Alec smiled too.

"They should join our team then," Simon said with a laugh. "Clare falls on her face all the time." His attempt to lighten the mood proved successful.

Jace slung an arm over Clary's petite shoulders as all the teens shared a laugh. It was a simply gesture, one between friends, but Clary felt his touch all the way down to her toes. "That's what we are right?" The group went quiet as they all looked at Clary. "A team, I mean." She looked away blushing as the silence took a lasting effect. She suddenly felt very stupid for even mentioning it.

A gentle hand took hold of her chin and tilted her head up, chills shifted down her back. She locked her plain green eyes on sparkling golden ones; mesmerized Clary hung on to Jace's every word. "Of course we're a team, Clary. We've all got each other's backs." Clary unlocked her eyes from his to look at her other 'team mates' they were all nodding and mumbling.

"Yeah, all for one and one for all right?" Simon said standing up and taking a seat next to Clary. He slung her arm around Clary's waist and pulled her toward him. Clary could have been mistaken but she could have sworn she felt Jace's arm tighten around her shoulders.

"Like the Three Musketeer's?" Maia said with a laugh taking a seat in front of Clary, leaning against her legs. Clary looked down at Maia, who sent her an almost pleading smile.

"Yeah," Simon said nodding towards Jace and Alec. "Only we've got a couple of warts along with us."

"I would be offended," Jace's grip on Clary tightened noticeably as she, subconsciously, leaned away from Simon and against Jace. "But this face could never be a blemish of any kind."

Alec plopped down next to Jace. "Oh and how's that?"

Jace pointed to his face with his free hand. "Just look and see for yourself."

"All I see is a really big head," Alec poked him. "That needs deflating."

"Well, of course, my head is big!" Jace poked Alec back. "It helps you see my face better."

Clary felt the giggles over take her and all she wanted was this moment to never end. With Jace's arm encircling her and her friends all around her she could almost pretend that she was normal.  
All for one and one for all, it seems that this would be the phrase they would have to live by.

For now.

* * *

**Review!**


	10. Are You A Prize?

**...I think we all know what I own...nothing**

**There I said it!**

* * *

Clary's fists clenched hard on the deck's railing. Maia's "friend's" cottage wasn't fancy, the decks paint was chipping and the whole home was small and quaint.

She closed her eyes and just took in the silence. Knowing that in this silence everything was perfect; that once the silence was broken she would have to deal with all the problems ahead of them. She would have to call the community college, say they took a short leave. She would have to call for Maia, ironically, at the animal shelter and tell Jeff she wouldn't be in for a little while which she had, no doubt, he would be fine with. Jeff Lowes was a sweet pump man who had a love of animals and for Maia, Clary smiled.

She would have to call Jody to say Simon wouldn't be in for his daily routine at the local comic store. She didn't know how well that was going to go but she hoped for the best.

And the apartment, Clary questioned her eyebrows furrowing.

She remembered what Alec had said, they had not found the book. That's what they had searched the apartment. And why only the paintings with her initials were destroyed in her room and only her books. Whoever had ripped apart their apartment had thought they would hide the book in the painting which, in all actuality, was stupid.

It was a sign that they were beginning to panic. That's why Clary's room was the only one completely messed up. She furrowed her eyebrows a moment to question how they would have known which room was hers.

She found herself panicking. Had someone been following her, stalking her? She felt a rush relief to remember that her door had the letters of her name in red. That's how they had known; Clary couldn't help but thank the Lord in that moment.

_Shouldn't we call the police_, Simon had questioned at the time before they had known Remus or Madisa. Or even that hell hounds existed; before they'd known Alec and...Jace.

* * *

_"Everything will be back to the way you found it." Alec smiled. "They wouldn't want to remember their failure. It's already a slap in the face for Clary eluding them; they won't want to add salt to the wound. "_

_"Seriously?" Simon raised an eyebrow. "Isn't that a lot of work for just a failure?"_

_"Yes-"_

_"Then why go through all that work?" Simon asked._

_"Pride." Alec shrugged. "Pride can do a lot of things to warlocks or people in general, especially to a man, and because of this: everything will be back to how it was before they came into our lives."_

_"So how will that happen exactly?" Clary said with an exasperated sigh, curling her fingers around the bridge of her nose._

_"Yeah, cause, please correct me if I'm wrong, but the last time I was home," Simon had her hands on her hips. "It looked like the Texas Chainsaw Massacre went at it."_

_"Well they can do unimaginable things-"_

_"And if you don't believe that after the last couple of days we've had," Jace smirked. "You're more in denial than Alec is for liking Magnus." Alec glared at Jace and his face began to heat but all Jace did was shift his body closer Clary's, who was becoming more aware of how close he was to her, and smirked larger._

"_Magnus?" Clary said turning to Jace, whose face was far too close to hers to be appropriate._

_He waved her off with a hand. "You'll meet him later."_

_"So, should we call the police to report the break in?" Simon said scratching his head awkwardly, obviously trying to change the subject. "Because honestly the thing I didn't get the most was why we didn't."_

_"Actually, it's good you didn't." Jace answered. "They've got recruits on the force too." He shook his head with a snort, mumbling. "To protect and serve my-"_

_"Besmic?" Clary tilted her head cutting him off mist of his profanity._

_Jace stared her right in the eyes and she felt a fire she didn't know could be ignited within her by a mere glance, light up. That's how intensely he stared her down. "No someone much," Jace paused as if staring at something beyond her. "Much worse."_

* * *

But who could be worse than the man who wanted her and this unseen book? Who had threatened everything she held dear?

She couldn't think of that she had too many things to straighten out like calling Madeline, her own boss. She had proudly worked at the book store and cafe Tranquility for, at least, a couple years. She had started when she was little, Madeline had known her mother.

A tear rolled its way down Clary's cheek. She didn't feel the lump in her throat, or that scratchy feeling she sometimes got at the back of her throat, the urge to cry was not there but somehow there it was a single tear.

Shed for the chaos of, what Clary believed to be, the last couple of days. She shed that lone tear for Simon, who had been dragged into this whole mess not by his own decision. She shed a tear for her mother who, even at her age, never really got a chance to live.

The sun was sinking under the icy lake illuminating the sky with light oranges and yellows and dark purples and blues. She smiled knowing if Maia say this she would have her phone out in a flash to capture its beauty. And then complain about how that one picture did not do, what she locked eyes on, justice. And Clary always found that she agreed, how was a picture supposed to catch a beauty only glanced at once a day. To capture something that almost seemed to combined dark and light.  
She smiled slightly, just like Maia and herself. Mixing two so very different people and just like the sunset, they complimented each other.

"Hey."

Clary quickly wiped the tear away, not even glancing behind her shoulder. She knew perfectly well who it was, she could tell his voice from anywhere. "Hey." Her voice cracked a little and she prayed he hadn't heard it.

Jace put his hands in the same formation as Clary's against the railing. He stared out at the fading sun too, and gave no indication he had heard her voice waver. His breath, like hers, was coming out in puffs. And she stole a side glance at him, he was so beautiful. His lips looked so soft and she could just imagine what they would feel like on her own.

She stared in front of her, her cheeks no doubt filling with red. She was embarrassed by her thoughts, he was her friend. He would only see her that way; she would have to live with that. People like Jace Wayland didn't fall in love with people like herself. If they had been in the same grade school, he would never have taken a second glance at her.

They stood in silence as the sunset lit up the sky more brightly. "Beautiful, isn't it?" Clary said.

"Yeah it is." Clary looked at Jace as the wind swept his curly locks around his head. And Clary wished that he could have been looking at her when he said that. To be totally cheesy and cliché, and have the moment like in all the sappy love movies where the girl comments on something beautiful and the boy says: "Yes, you are."

She smiled a little thinking of what Simon would have said if she knew that's what Clary was thinking. Probably something like: "What? Have you taken a liking to the taste of _cheese_?" Clary laughed a little at that.

Jace turned towards her sharply as if surprised by her sudden outburst. She could see his sharp cheek bones and lush lashes that covered glimmering gold eyes from the side of her vision.

"Clary?" Jace asked and she turned toward him without a second thought. She felt wasps in her belly, it was like she had never heard that nickname until Jace had said it. Hearing him say it made her feel light and utterly happy and warm inside.

"Yeah?" She stared at Jace and it almost looked like he was looking at her the same way she was him; with fascination and something else, though it was probably her over thinking it. Or wishful thinking altogether.

"You know we're going to protect you," Jace looked at her hard as if he needed her to know and understand. "Right?"

She turned her head back to the ice encased lake; knowing it shouldn't be like that, she should be able to protect herself. She shouldn't have to rely on hot strangers, with ninja skills to rescue her. She sighed as she saw that the sunset had become darker, dusk taking over. "You shouldn't have to."

"But that's just it-"

She turned back towards him. "You shouldn't have to risk your life for a girl you've known for an overall of 3 days!" She threw her hands up. "You don't have to protect me. You and Alec can still go and escape all this."

"It's my job. I'm obligated-"

She cut him off again. "You shouldn't have to _feel_ obligated to do anything for me!" Clary sent him an exasperated look.

He stared at her for a long moment before softly answering. "Yes, I do." The way he was staring at her told her this had nothing to do with his "job". Or was it her mind playing tricks on her again? Though with the way his eyes were staring into hers, it seemed entirely unlikely her mind could make this up.  
Jace took a step toward her and, as the overhead light flickered on, she saw that his hair was slightly damp; he had taken a shower before coming out to keep her company.

He took another step and she found she couldn't move, though for the first time it had nothing to do with fear. No, this was an entirely different emotion, one she hadn't experienced before and couldn't quite put her finger on.

He was standing so close to her his breath was fanning her face. He smelled of mint and something completely manly, something that was simply him. He smelled amazing, and she found she was having a hard time breathing.

"I can't have you getting hurt, Clary." Jace brushed a lock of curly red hair from her face to behind her ear. If he was expecting an answer she was sorry to disappoint him but her brain was short circuiting with him standing so close.

The door creaked open behind them and Jace jumped away from Clary, like he was doing something he wasn't supposed to, and she found she was slightly disappointed.

"Hey!" Maia said walking out toward them. She grabbed Clary's hand and began to walk toward the red car. "We're going out to get something to eat." She glanced over her shoulder at Jace. "Keep up, pretty boy."

Jace laughed. "Don't worry about me, Maia." His usually arrogance back and the vulnerable person Clary had just spoke with was gone. "I'll keep up just fine."

As Clary looked over her shoulder she saw he had not moved from his spot on the deck and his gaze was still locked on her.

* * *

Squeezing into a booth with Maia and Simon was easy, cramped but easy. The hard part was having nothing but Jace to stare at and she would rather not watch him work his charm on the young waitress they got. She was silently thankful for the window to her left.

She couldn't believe he had already moved on to the next fawning girl. She suddenly felt stupid, sparing a glance in the direction of Goldie Locks and his latest victim she wondered if she had looked like that too when she talked to him, as the unnatural platinum blonde twirled her hair around her finger and laughed at everything Jace said. The look in her eyes was one of fascination and Clary immediately felt sorry for the girl because she knew the minute Beach Barbie walked away another girl would spark Jace's fancy or maybe just his pants.

But hadn't she been fascinated by him at one point too? Though in her and Beach Barbie's defense, who wouldn't be fascinated Jace was gorgeous.

Disgustingly gorgeous.

Placing her head on the frosted glass, she rubbed her temples. Her head was throbbing and she knew it was from the stress of the last 3 days and lack of food. She closed her eyes and just listened to the sounds of the diner around them. Remembering a time when she had entered the same diner with Maia so long ago when she was too short to be taken as a teenager and Maia's nose was far too large for her face. She had come with Maia's family and she remembered feeling at peace with herself. Until she had ordered the least expensive thing on the menu and Maia's mother had given her a pointed look.

Clary felt a smile crawl across her face that had been the same day when Maia decided she was going to heighten her surroundings and try something new, which, in this case, was a deep fried pickle that not even Clary herself would eat. After that experience Maia had become very closed minded again.  
She had gone home after their week ended together. At 14 everything had been funny, and she immediately wanted to share this story of Maia's new experience with her mother. Who had humored her with a laugh, though Clary knew she found it cute rather than funny. Clary never called her out on it, she loved it when her mother laughed or smiled even if it was just to please her daughter.

_I will not cry_, Clary thought. _Tear ducts I forbid you to produce any moisture!_

"Clary?"

Clary eyes snapped open and she turned to Maia, who had her eye brows furrowed. Her brown eyes looked cautious and deep with concern. Clary knew she looked like she had tears in her eyes because she in fact did have moisture.

_Curse you tear ducts._

"You okay?" Simon said and in that moment she knew she had everyone's attention at the booth. Her eyes wandered to Jace's, who had his gazed lock on hers. The waitress wasn't here and Clary wondered how long she had been just laying there against the window reminiscing about old memories. Turning her head and placing her hands on the counter, she saw her head mark formed into the glass, maybe she was lying there longer then she had expected.

"Clary?" She looked back towards Maia and Simon not knowing who actually had called her name. "Are you okay?" Simon said, both looked equally concerned and she felt something taking hold of her hands from the counter. She looked up at Jace, who smiled at her before she ripped her hands out from under his smacking Maia's shoulder in the process. Jace blinked and furrowed his golden eyebrows plainly confused.

Clary faked a smile at everyone. "Of course." Maia looked at her a moment and Clary knew she didn't believe her much like when Clary knew her mother was faking it but didn't call her out. Simon stared at her a moment in deep concentration before shrugged his shoulders and turning forward to talking to Alec.

Clary stared down at the table, she just didn't understand boys.

Why was it that in one moment he was flirting with the waitress and then suddenly act like he cared about her at all? The way he had acted before they left was that he had an attraction to her; she wasn't imagining it in his eyes.

Or maybe it wasn't the attraction she was hoping for? Maybe he was attracted to her like a brother was attracted to a sister. Maybe she was reading too far into this.

Clary shook her head slowly, a pitying smile on her face. How could she, for one second, have thought that he wanted to protect her so much because he had feelings for her? She scoffed; she was so blinded by her own attraction she was making something up in her head. Her mother always told her she had a wild imagination.

She suddenly found she didn't want Jace here and she could only think that if Jace wasn't around neither would Alec. And though she liked Alec she couldn't take the confusion and hurt that Jace caused; she'd been hurt by too many people in this one day. But she begrudgingly had to admit that without Alec and Jace they would be goners for sure. Whether it was by Remus and his red flames or Madisa and the sharp jaws of her hell hound, they would be gone. And who was she to take Simon's life in her hands, Maia could obviously handle herself, but Simon was defenseless; as defenseless as her.

_Are you as defenseless as Simon? Or do you just want to be?_

_"What are you hiding, Clary?" Simon said as he stared into her eyes._

"Excuse me." She said to Simon and Maia, who moved without being asked twice.

"What's wrong?" Maia said again, not willing to take the lame excuse as she had before.

"I just," Clary sighed as she went to grab her jacket. "Need some air."

Maia seemed to understand but Simon cut in his brown eyes blazing. "Clary, all you've had to eat for days is Mac N' Cheese. And I'm not hatin' on Kraft or anything, but you need more than just that."

"Really? Hatin'" Maia said with a raised eyebrow.

"Yeah? What's wrong with that?"

"You are not black. I can say hatin', you cannot."

"Don't hate me, cause you ain't me."

Jace let out a harsh laugh that still sounded like music to her to Clary's ears. That fact only seemed to fuel her rage and her headache. Simon and Maia turned to Jace, who smirked. "I thought Simon made a joke. I mean, who would even _want _to be him? Now, me on the other hand—"

"Alright, pretty boy—"

Clary sighed and tuned them out as she grabbed her coat; she didn't give any more explanation as she stalked towards the door, briefly stopping to say goodbye to the greeter on her way out.

* * *

The four teens watched her go; right out the door and into the black night.

Alec sharply turned to Jace. "What did you do?" His voice was hard. He had taken a liking to Clary and didn't want to see her hurt.

Jace narrowed his eyes. "Why do you immediately assume _I_ did anything? _You _could have done something!" Alec sent him a look. "Granted, you probably didn't…"

Maia's expression turned dark. "If you have done something to hurt her-"

"Whoa, chill out, pup." Jace said his narrowed gaze softening as Maia let out a growl. "I would never want to hurt Clary intentionally."

"So, you want to hurt her unintentionally?" Simon said, raising his eyebrow.

Maia ignored Simon and bit her lip. "Well, we can't just leave her out there all by herself. She attracts trouble." Maia began to move toward the door only to be stopped when a hand rested lightly on her shoulder.

"No, let me." Alec said with a smile as Maia stared for a moment then nodded taking her seat back down next to Simon. They watched as Alec walked out the door, giving a brief and embarrassed wave to the greeter.

"And then there were three," Simon and Maia both sent Jace a disgusted look before rolling their eyes.

He lifted his hands up. "What?" His expression was of nonchalance but his eyes gave him away as he stared with his penetrating gaze at the small diner's door.

* * *

She couldn't help the wave of guilt that went through her. They were just being kind and Alec and Jace were doing her a major favor by keeping them safe and yet her mind and her heart were pulling her in two different directions.

She let out another puff of visible air; pulling her wool jacket closer to her. The light from behind him coming from the restaurant and dark background making it impossible to see his face; but his silhouette was attractive, and for a minute she thought it was Jace but this figure was much too lean. Jace was broader shouldered. Looking back in front of her into the darkness she shook her head, even when upset Jace wouldn't get out of her mind.

"Get out." Clary hit her head with her hand.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I'll just go." Clary looked quickly behind her to see the figure that had come out of the restaurant was Alec, who was walking back where he had come.

"Oh no! I didn't mean you." She said standing up as Alec turned with a smile. "I was talking to myself." She put her hand up to stop him from speaking. "And I know that talking to yourself is a sign of insanity. Save the speech, Simon already beat you to it." Alec's shoulders shook as he laughed, something he didn't do often she observed.

"So, you won't mind if I joined you?" He smiled and she quickly returned it.

"No, having you here would give me an excuse not to think, which would be a blessing for a moment." She sat back down and patted the spot next to her. "And I wouldn't mind the company."

Alec slowly sat next to her, leaving just enough space between them to be comfortable. Spreading his legs out in front of him, he turned to her with a smile. "This is where Jace would say something-"

"Arrogant and Cocky?" Clary twitched her jaw, before taking a breath and closing her eyes. "Something douche-like?"

Alec laughed again while nodding his head. "Yes." He paused a moment and Clary opened her eyes to look at him. He really was an attractive boy, his blue eyes seemed to light p the dark night around them. His black shaggy hair was hanging in his face in an attractive way. "What did he do?"

"Who?" Clary looked at Alec confused.

"Jace."

Clary smiled and thought about it. In all actuality, he hadn't done anything to her except play with her. And it wasn't as if she had told him he couldn't. She had just thought she was different but of course every girl thought that didn't they. She came to the conclusion that he had actually done nothing wrong and she felt even more stupid than before. Now what was she suppose to say?

She could always lie, but she sucked at it. Though she would never tell anyone that she knew perfectly well she could not lie. What was she suppose to say?

Turning her attention back to Alec she saw him waiting for her answer. He was so sweet; he didn't rush her just waited patiently. He was the polar opposite of Simon, who had the attention span of a squirrel and no patience at all.

She smiled. "Nothing."

He raised an eyebrow. "I know I haven't known you long but from that heated stared down the two of you had I wouldn't say nothing." He shrugged and smiled. "Though I know Jace well, and when a pretty girl stomps out of a room angrily he usually has something to do with it."

"Yes, well, rest assured," Clary smiled. "Jace has not conquered this territory." She said referring to her body and Alec let out another laugh. "Besides I'm not that stupid. I know what kind of guy Jace is. He has lots of experience in the hump-and-dump industry, doesn't he?" She looked at Alec expectantly.

"It's as if you've known him longer than just a few days."

"Yes, well, I have much experience with Jace's kind." Clary laughed, not really, she'd just grown up with them but Alec didn't need to know that she thought as Alec joined in the laughter.

"I just don't want you to get hurt." Alec smiled smacking his shoulder with hers. "I know this may surprise you but I do consider you a close friend."

"Same goes for you." Clary said with another smile as Alec gave her a confused look. "So Magnus, huh?"

Alec blushed and Clary laughed. "Uh, yeah." He looked like he was searching for the right word. "He's my…friend."

"Close friend?" Clary said with a smirk gracing her pink lips.

"Closer than most." Alec groaned. "Or maybe not. Why do relationships have to be so confusing? Why can't two people just say they like each other and get it over with?"

Clary threw her head back and laughed at that. She shook her head; if she knew that she wouldn't be in the predicament she was in now. "I don't know," Clary waited wanting to say this right. "Maybe it's something that you have to work for. Maybe it's a prize." She nodded her head knowing that's exactly what she wanted to say.

Alec stared at her for a moment. "I think it's the people you end up with that are the prize, for completing all that hard work. You're a prize; you know that, don't you?"

And in that moment, Clary knew she didn't agree entirely agree with Alec. She couldn't be a prize, then she would have been pursued. And she, also, knew that she would have to settle with whoever would love her.

If anyone could.

* * *

**Review! Don't worry it will get better :D**


	11. Oh So Very Bad

**Sorry, I know this is long over due.**

**Enjoy!**

**I own nothing...but I do own a dog...I do not own Jace.**

* * *

By the end of the week, a conflicted Clary and the gang traveled back to Amatis's refurbished home where both Alec and Jace (suspiciously) kept their belongings for a long trip, she couldn't help but wonder why? It was as if they had prepared for this long trip which went against everything Clary knew since she thought none really **knew** how long they would be traveling. All in all she knew, just like they all did, retrieving this so called book would be no walk in the park.

At least, they had a plan now. Go back to the scene and then find the book. And they were only going back to Clary, Maia and Simon's apartment for more clothes and maybe look for clues which were pointless. But that was the plan; they all had formulated and agreed on.

After Alec had taken Clary's hand and lead her back into the restaurant, which had been extremely embarrassing. They all sat down and decided that they needed a plan of attack. And after much slapping (Maia), sarcastic innuendoes (Jace), pleading (Alec), complaining (Simon), and stubbornness (Clary) the plan was formed. Not a good one, but at least they had one.

And now here Clary sat around the fire Maia had successfully made after 30 minutes of swearing and false lighting. Tomorrow would be a new day, to change the future.

Clary furrowed her eyebrows she could have sworn she heard that saying before. Maybe someone famous said it before but she knew her father had said it to her once. Maybe he knocked off someone important by stealing their line and knowing her father he probably did.

Maia, next to her, poked at the fire with her father's "pooter" or in other words a very large and thick stick; Clary laughed as Maia jumped up and danced like a maniac around the fire pit. Simon rolled his eyes, which were now hidden behind his back-up pair of glasses which he kept in Clary's truck, as he watched.

"And you say I'm an idiot." He huffed.

Maia stopped her dance to stick out her tongue at Simon and narrow her eyes. "I say that because you are an idiot."

"Says the person dancing-"

"I do not lie!" She said putting her finger up to stop Simon from continuing.

"Well, obviously, you do." He said with another eye roll. "The evidence speaks for itself."

Clary laughed and shook her head as Maia continued her dance, Clary's hair was in a mess of tangles around her head and she knew she probably looked homeless. She'd been in the same clothes for about a week and without a shower; it didn't add up to a great look altogether. "Well, I wouldn't have either of you any other way." She smiled as Maia plopped down on her left. "Having you both being idiots and acting weird makes me feel normal."

Maia poked her side and Clary let out a squeal. "You, Clare bear, are just as strange." Clary scowled at the nickname.

"Yeah, you act just as idiotic as we do," Simon rolled his eyes again with a smile. "If anything I'm the normal one."

Maia raised an eyebrow, Clary tried to do the same, at Simon before both bursting into fits of laughs.

"Yeah, whatever, Simon," Clary said with a shake of her head. "Whatever floats your PWC."

"PWC?"

All three friends looked behind them to see Jordan standing with a smile on his face. Maia let out a scream and ran at him. She threw her arms around him and Clary watched with a smile as he bent down to wrap his arms around Maia's slender waist.

"Yep," Simon said walking up to him and sharing an awkward but friendly bro hug before Maia jumped back at Jordan. "**P**ersonal **W**ater **C**raft." Clary nodded from behind him, and Jordan lifted his head from where it lay on Maia's head with a laugh.

Jordan Kyle was Maia's main squeeze as Simon would put it. He was tall and lean and about the same height as Jace and Alec but with broader shoulders; he had a compassionate face. People just trusted him and Clary could say from experience that he was easy to trust. His mop of brown, curling hair was messy and half-covered his eyes. He looked like a surfer and looked more likely to be living in the California rather than urban New York.

Maia had liked him for awhile and in their childhood he had been both girls' close friend. Until the day he had kissed Maia and from that point the two had been inseparable. And honestly Clary wouldn't have had it any other way.

"What are you doing here?" Clary said as she hugged Jordan too, his arms dwarfed her and he lifted her off her feet with a laugh when she wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Well, Maia was texting me some pretty crazy things," He said with a smile toward the small girl. "And it was starting to concern me." His face was completely serious. "I mean, men with blades for arms and women that turn into black mist." He raised an eyebrow. "I had to make sure everyone wasn't... you know." He lifted one hand to his mouth symbolizing drinking and then the other symbolizing smoking.

Clary looked over at Maia her eyes narrowed; she smiled at her teeth together as she talked. "Maia, can I talk to you for a second." She grabbed her arm. "Over there." She began to drag her and as she passed Simon she grabbed onto her arm too. She pushed both girls in to the darkness at the side of the cottage.

"How am I not surprised." Clary placed her hands on her hips as she stared Maia down who innocently smiled. "Couldn't keep your mouth shut."

"Jordan knows." Maia said in a choking voice as if she didn't want to but knew she had too.

Clary threw her arms up in the air. "Well, of course, he knows you've been—"

"No," Maia shook her head quickly in a fluid jerk, as if the thought of what she was saying actually hurt her. "He **knows**."

Clary frowned confused a moment before recognition came to her like a flash. It didn't come as fast to Simon. "Yes, we know he **knows** because you opened your big mouth and—"

"No," Clary gripped Simon's hand like a vice. "He _**knows**_."

"Yes, I know he _**knows**_!" He threw his arms up and dislodged Clary's grip. "You just said—" He cut himself off and paused as he stared at Maia and Clary's expressions. "Oh…"

Clary felt a rage she had never felt for her friend before bubble up within her. She was sick of the unknown and she was sick of all the lies. Her heart couldn't take this much drama especially when it involved lives.

"He knows…everything?" Clary looked beyond Maia at the blazing fire, feeling much like the fire herself.

"Yeah," Simon nodded slowly. "Like the fact you feel the unexplainable urge to howl at the moon, mark your territory and may contain a variety of fleas?"

Maia scowled at Simon's lame attempt at a joke before focusing back on Clary, who refused to meet her gaze. She knew, just knew she would explode if she did. "He's . . . It's not like I don't want to tell you everything. I do, but Jordan, he's . . . like me." Maia bit her plump lip so hard the flesh was turning white. Clary could help but turn her head in a flash unable to hold back her surprise.

"He's a . . . " She couldn't finish. He couldn't be, he wouldn't have kept this from her. Not honest and kind Jordan. Then again she hadn't thought Maia could do this to her either.

Maia nodded as she and Simon stared blankly at her, Clary couldn't tell what he was thinking. Simon's brown eyes told nothing as they gazed at Maia through his glasses.

"It's not her fault."

"Of course, it's not." Clary turned to Jordan, who now stood right behind her, her arms crossed. He was much taller than she was and much bulkier but she wasn't frightened; even if he could turn into another species all together. Obviously, his earlier rouse, of concerned and obvious friend and boyfriend was over, he was here for a purpose Clary was sure of it. "It's never anyone's fault around here."

Jordan sighed as he put a hand to her shoulder. "We never meant to hurt you intentionally—"

"No?" Clary said harshly as she glared up at Jordan, not letting his height intimidate her. "Then tell me what's going on. All of it." Jordan and Maia exchanged a look before he shook his head. "Then you **are** hurting me intentionally."

She knocked Jordan's large and warm palm off her cold shoulder, stalking toward the small cottage. She knew she wasn't being entirely fair but neither were they. They were talking about her life! They were all she had and yet . . . it felt like she didn't know them at all anymore. Their whole friendship had been built on a mountain of lies and deceit, and it saddened her. It broke her heart.

She didn't pay them the least bit of attention as she walked back towards the bonfire Maia had spent a half an hour creating. It was now just a simmering flame.

Why did she feel so lost, how had it all come to this; she felt forced to trust people she didn't know anymore. At least, she had Simon and Jace and Alec. They hadn't lied to her at least; she felt herself cringe at the thought of Jace. He was one of the only people she could trust and she was pushing him away; acting like a crazy, love sick, jealous teenager. She felt a tinge of shame at the thought of how he had really done nothing wrong. She knew she wasn't really being fair to him. He hadn't done anything wrong intentionally. He was just being well...Jace. Who was she to come into his life and expect him to change his ways for her. He was born a Casanova and there was no way to convert him.

She crossed her arms and stared out into the never ending darkness, the light from the cottage and light from the fire making it visible to look out across the lake, it was beautiful. And if their situation had been different she would have felt more than just impending doom as she stared out across it.

"So, can I ask you a question?" Jace folded his arms appearing next to her, nearly causing her to jump out of her own skin.

_His really big arms_, Clary thought before she glanced over her shoulder to see Jordan laugh at something Alec said.

Feeling the betrayal like it was fresh she turned back to Jace, Clary answered. "You just did." She smiled her gaze back on the decreasing flame.

He barked out a laugh, that shouldn't have made her bones shiver with pleasure but it did. "Humor me." He leaned in closer to her.

"Alright, what?" Clary said turning her body toward him and only then did she realize how close they were to each other . . . only a step apart; one long agonizing step apart from being nose to nose.

"What's-" He stopped and stared at her.

His eyes trailed to her lips where they stayed and she felt her heart beat faster. "Yes?" Her voice was soft and just above a whisper. A sound she never thought she could make.

Clary remembered then what Maia had said. _"You know he wants to kiss you when he stares at your lips."_

_"Really?" _Clary had remembered saying.

_"Yeah, when the moment comes you'll know."_ Maia had smiled at her kindly and she was right Clary did know. Right now with Jace, he wanted to kiss her.

Her breath was coming in fast and short puffs and she had no doubt that Jace could hear her heart beat. It was beating loud and fast and Clary wasn't so sure it was supposed to be beating at such a fast speed.  
This wasn't right! Hadn't she just spent most of the night trying to tell herself he was no good. That he wasn't worth the headache. But now with his golden glass eyes staring at her she found her will power had melted to a puddle beneath her. She also found she didn't care, later she would think of the consequences right now all she wanted to do was kiss Jace. To test and see just if his lips were as smooth and his hair as soft as they looked.

Jace looked down at the ground then as if sensing the agonizing step too, before he meet her eyes again and she sent him the most pleading look.

_Please just one step is all I need,_ Clary thought. _Just one step._

Jace, as if reading her mind, did just that; he took one step. And Clary could feel his breath against her face. His nose so close to hers, and she wondered if their noses were so close because hers was so large and long and in a quick moment she hoped he wouldn't notice her nose's shape and size.

He was so close, and Clary had never been this close to boy before. And she found that his eyes didn't just shimmer, they sparkled and as the flames, from the dwindling fire, danced in them she decided in that moment that this was her favorite color; something never before seen in anyone's eyes.

He leaned in farther, his lips just inches from hers or had she leaned in? She couldn't quite remember but it didn't matter in the end, because Maia's fire exploded upward. And a creature floated before them.

Clary screamed and jumped back as the heat became too much. And Jace jumped in front of her shoving her behind him. "Run Clary! Get them out!" And she didn't need to be told twice as she whipped toward her team mates.

Alec was disappearing inside no doubt to get his weapons; Simon was running after him, Maia was pulling on Jordan's arm, who was staring up at the creature before them. He opened his mouth to speak but stopped when Jace let out cry. Clary watched as the creature, made purely out of fire, smacked right into Jace's chest with his arm lifting him into the air and soaring him into the pine tree at the side of the cottage where he laid face down and motionless.

"JACE!" Maia screamed going to run for him but was stopped by Jordan's vice like grip around her wrist.

_Oh this was bad_, Clary thought. _Oh so very bad._

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**Sorry, it's so short! Review**


	12. Early Road-Trip

**CHAPTER 12 IS HEEEEEEEERRRRRREEEEEE!**

**Just wanted to let you know...**

* * *

"Go get inside!" Clary said shoving on Jordan's chest, he didn't stumble back a step though she was pushing with all the strength she had.

"You have to come with us!" He went to grab her arm but she moved away before he could.

Knowing she would get nowhere with Jordan, not with his eyes gleaming with protective instincts, she turned to her best friend. "Maia, you have to go," Clary sent Maia a pleading look; she would know Clary could handle this. She would know she was strong enough.

Or was she?

Trying not to give that nagging question much thought, she pleaded with her friend. "I promise I'll be fine. Go get Jordan to safety, you two can't handle this." Maia looked at Clary hard. "You have to listen to me, I can do this." She grabbed Maia's slim shoulders and stared deep into her eyes. "Trust me," She squeezed her shoulders affectionately, forgetting for the moment the twisting in her stomach at the thought of Maia's betrayal, needing her more than she ever had before. "Please, I can do this."

Maia stared at her for another moment before hesitatingly nodding. "You better live, Clary Adele Fray." She poked her in the shoulder as she took Jordan by the arm. "You better live or I'll kill you."

Clary smiled and hugged Maia tight. "I will," She pushed her back to a shell shocked Jordan, who was looking at her like he had never seen her before. "Go and tell Alec to hurry." Maia nodded and dragged Jordan up the decks stairs, who must have been really shocked because he let Clary's side, no questions asked.

Now, a week ago if you had told Clary she would be facing a creature made purely of fire she would have laughed and looked at you as if you had a bolt loose or two.

A week ago, Clary would have stared, paralyzed and open mouthed, and just screamed. But that was the old Clary, the new Clary ran right toward where Jace had fallen sidestepping the large heated creature on her way. She dropped to her knees next to him and used all her strength to roll him over.

His face was peaceful, his blonde curls laid around his head like a halo and blood ran from a small cut above his forehead near his hairline. She couldn't help but notice how beautiful he was. She searched his torso for any sign of burning but she found none. Actually, when she placed her hand on his leather jacket she hissed from how cold it was, a sheen of ice crusted over the black leather of his jacket. She looked to see that the skin of her palm had turned a tender red. That didn't make any sense—

The creature screeched a sound so horrible that it made Clary throw her hands to her ears. It was an awful noise, like sharp nails on a chalkboard. She turned to see that he, if it was a he, had found her. Clary found her heart beating faster, her mind screaming for her to run from the oncoming danger but her feet wouldn't let her leave. It towered over her, the top of its blazing head soaring above the pine tree they were under. Its horn's were thick and curled and it looked to be a huge skeleton that had been lit a flame; large wings sprouted from its spine adding to its overall demonic qualities. It looked like Clary's version of the devil.

"Jace," She shook him softly using his freezing leather jacket to do so. "Jace!" She shook him harder as she looked over her shoulder at the devil, which was towering over both of them. Clary feared that his fire would spread and alight the poor pine that Jace had collided with.

_Why do all these creatures have to be so big_, Clary thought helplessly.

It wasn't until she felt a slight heat that she realized the creature was leaning down, its arm outstretching toward her. "**Jace**!"

She wrapped both her arms under his back, crushing his body to hers. She could feel every hard ridge and contour of his stomach and chest. The situation, on any other occasion, would have been extremely embarrassing for her; but this was life and death, there was no time for embarrassment, plus she didn't want to think about how nice he felt against her.

She watched as he slowly dragged his eyelids open, his golden eyes were dull and slowly lighting back up with its usual mischief. "Clary?" He mumbled in a low husky tone before everything seemed to come back to him. His eyes shot open but he was just a little too late, because as he went to wrap his arms around her tiny waist something beat him to it.

She was lifted from Jace, her arms ripped from his torso, almost pulling her shoulders from their sockets; and as she let out a scream he grabbed onto her wrists trying to hold her but he was still lying on his back and had just woken up from being knocked unconscious. She was surprised he could have reacted so fast, but his actions proved to be in vain. The creature let out another screech and yanked on Clary's torso with a sharp tug, Jace was ripped from her grip almost dislodging her shoulders yet again.

"Clary!" Jace jumped to his feet and wavered, putting a hand to his head, he fell back to his knees.

Clary was aware of how cold she was as goose bumps erupted on her skin underneath her long sleeved shirt and coat. The creature was made of fire and yet his touch was as cold as ice, the whole thing should have been impossible.

Clary screamed before pushing against the creature's hold only to withdraw with a hiss, much like what happened when she touched Jace's jacket though this string was much worse. The tips of her fingers were tinted a light purple and her palms were pale, turning transparent. It had given her the beginning of frost bite from a mere touch; but when she had stood next to the creature before she had, had to jump back from the enormous heat. Almost, like the creature had a shield of heat around its icy cold body. It was impossible.

She was surprised she was still using that word after the very long week she had.

A howl sounded from below and Clary looked down to see Alec charging toward a fallen Jace; his head was bowed, his curls falling around his face, and was still trying to get to his feet as Alec tossed him a pen-like object. Clary wondered if it was another light sword, but thought otherwise when Jace traced it along his skin, turning his skin a charred black. She went to yell for him to stop but she knew he couldn't hear her. At least, not right now and she had bigger things to worry about than the fact that Jace got off on burning himself. She watched with fearful eyes as Jace pointed up toward her, she saw Alec's mouth drop open. Her gaze followed her ears to where the howling had come from to see Maia's body, quaking and her bones splitting. Her eyes were glowing as she leaped forward only to be held back by Jordan. Simon was nowhere in sight.

Suddenly, the feeling of bubbling frustration filled her stomach, she knew exactly why this thing was here, for a book she didn't even own. And as her frustration turned to rage she knew she was going to do something really. . .

She started thrashing against the creature, her arms burning whenever it touched the creature's icy flame. "I don't know where your damn book is! Just leave me and my friends alone!"

Stupid.

The creature started to shake her around violently, her head whipped back and forth like a rag doll, and when it stopped she knew it had given her some form of whip lash. As it brought her closer to its face she felt that intense heat again like when she had been around the fire with Maia and Simon before. A light sweat broke out on her skin, feeling the heat like one would around a camp fire and it was growing stronger. So, its flame was cold but the air around it was hot? The mythical being opened its mouth, still bringing her closer; it looked like a portal straight into hell as the flames crashed into each other.

Was it going to eat her?

She screamed and pushed against its hold again, not caring how she lost feeling immediately when her flesh touched the flames.

"Hey, Fire Crotch!" Clary whipped her head away from the creature's open mouth to the ground, the creature paused and followed her gaze to Simon, who held a brown leather book above his head; his hair was disheveled and his glasses were endearingly skewed. "Looking for this?" It screeched again and then Clary felt her stomach drop to her feet as she was suddenly falling. The air whipping her hair up and she heard a handful of people scream her name.

So, here she was falling to her death. She thought about how many times her life has been threatened.

More in this week than in her entire life, it was like some sort of new record.

She felt the ground meet her body . . . hard, but she realized with a start she wasn't sprawled across the soft, snowy covered grass but Jace. He had tried to catch her but his arms hadn't been strong enough to stop the momentum of her fall added to her weight. Her face was smashed into his hard shoulder and their legs were all tangled. Finding her legs somewhere in the mess of his, she pulled them out from Jace's and pushed herself above him.

He had finally caught his breath that she had no doubt knocked out of him and was looking up at her, his eyes scanning over her face as if he was memorizing every inch. They were doing things to her brain cells, making her thoughts foggy. "Thanks." She uttered.

"No problem," Jace smirked. "All in the job description." Clary laughed as she lifted herself off of him although she really didn't want to. But seeing as there was a giant winged skeleton on fire after Simon she figured she had too.

_Simon_, Clary thought whipping around to see Simon inching toward the deck waving the book wildly at fiery demon. Alec was in front of him shooting arrow after arrow, like a never ending machine, but they just lit on fire and turned to ash before even reaching the beast without leaving a mark at all.

Jace was up and running, reaching them and jumping in front of Alec just as the creature swatted them both away like they weighed nothing. It was advancing on Simon and Clary watched in horror as Simon stumbled away, she knew she had to do something. She watched as Simon passed the leather bound book to Maia, whose eyes glowed a deep yellow as she used her morphed werewolf legs to push her forward and charge off the deck, toward the street where she passed it to Jordan.

They couldn't do that forever, Clary had to think of something and fast. Alec's arrows did nothing because of the heat, that seemed to radiate from its body, but the creature's touch was cold. Her green eyes wandered over the newly frozen lake, she knew it would never hold her weight but the metal dock leading out to the lake could. And she suspected it could hold the beast too. If he could melt things like fire, maybe he could distinguish like fire too. It was a long shot and dangerous but she had to try something.

"Pass it!" Clary yelled to Jordan, who nodded and threw it long, without thinking twice. She caught it with ease as the papers crinkled and wrinkled. She then turned and waved it in the air calling out to the creature, which turned and screeched out to her, its mouth opening far wider than should have been humanly possible; walking toward her she stumbled over cold, snowy sand and twigs back toward the dock.

"No, Clary!" Jace jumped forward, giving her a look that told her how stupid he thought she was being. "Not the dock!"

"C'mon, here's the book." Clary screamed, ignoring Jace as she waved the book over her head again, tentatively walking onto the dock still waving it. "Come on and get it." She whispered as she watched the creature timidly step onto the dock and as she suspected it held, slightly melting under its feet; the lights on the side popped because of the heat. The creature seemed to grin at her before rushing forward; Clary raised the book over her head and ran for the end of the dock where she launched the book out into the lake.

The creature's arm hit her stomach bringing Clary into the air before crashing back onto the slightly melted dock. The impact sent her rolling until she hit one of the popped light fixtures and stopped, she watched from where she laid as the creature let out a screech and launched itself out into the lake, breaking the ice and sinking into the water where stream began to pollute the air. The heated shield was distinguishing as the ice from the lake crawled up the creature's leg, freezing it in place. Its hands reached out toward her. She stood watching as it crawled for the dock eagerly but couldn't reach it before ice encompassed the rest of its body freezing it into place. As if sent as a prayer, the creature began to break apart, with a tumbling crash. Large chucks of ice crushed the thin layer of ice on top of the lake and disappear below the surface.

Clary could see the distinct outline of the book Simon had grabbed before it slipped slowly under the surface too. She felt like that book, sinking and slowly drowning in her own world. A world she didn't know existed until a week ago. Or maybe two, she never was good at keeping track of time.

She didn't know how long she stood staring out at the large patch of melted and crumbled lake before a hand gingerly touched her shoulder.

She turned her head to look at Alec, whose bright blue eyes seemed to be digging into her mind. His hair was sticking to his forehead from sweat making it look like black paint. "You okay?"

She stared out into the darkness again. She opened her mouth to say she was fine but she realized that would be a lie and she was done with the lies and tricks. She was done playing games. There had been enough of those from them all. It was time to start fresh; it was time to wipe the slate clean. She could see Maia and Jordan in the corner of her eye and the feeling in her chest lifted. This was what she needed to do, she needed to forgive.

"No, I'm not the slightest bit okay." She nodded her head before she turned her whole body toward him. "But I'm alive . . . we're alive," She corrected herself. "For now." Biting her lip, she furrowed her eyebrows. "We need that book."

"Why?" Simon said appearing next to Alec, his face was red and he looked a little more than just out of breath. "All that book has done is get us almost killed."

"Because whoever wants that book won't stop until they get it or we're all dead." Maia answered for her, taking her place next to him. Her hair had completely fallen out of its twisted braids and fell in tight spirals around her head. She looked like a warrior princess that Clary would have drawn.

Clary frowned and bit her lip again. "Because if someone would send their best supernatural assassins to kill a bunch of teenagers, this book must be really important." Alec nodded from beside Clary agreeing with her as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders, giving her a gentle squeeze.

"And powerful." Jace said suddenly beside Clary. Now, the old Clary would have jumped but she kind of just expected it.

"And placed in the wrong hands..." Maia trailed off letting them all finish that sentence their own way.

"What book?" Jordan asked clearly confused.

"Murlog's." Simon answered with a shrug.

"Who?"

"Well, we," He looked from Clary to Maia. "Really don't know who he is."

"So, wait, wait, wait," He waved his hands in front of him and looked like he was trying to understand. "What?"

"Looks like we have a lot to explain to you, man." Alec laid an arm on Jordan's shoulder with a laugh.

* * *

"So this guy, Besmic," Jordan looked at Clary, who nodded; her hair tangling further around her head. "Wants this book-"

"Murlog's." Simon cut him off.

"Murlog's book?" He finished and Clary again nodded.

"And you don't own or even knew this book existed until this week?" Again she nodded. "And you guys have really been fighting these creatures." The group all nodded. "And you do that for a living?" Alec nodded and Jace just stared. He rubbed his hands on his forehead, his face astounded. "So you've been getting a lot done in my absence."

Maia laughed. "Yes we have."

He looked at each of them for a moment his gaze lingering on Maia before stopping on Clary. "Now you all have to go find and retrieve this book?" Everyone nodded again and waited for his reaction. "Well," Jordan clapped his hands together smiling at the group of dirt covered and bloody teens. "Who's up for an early road trip?"

"Wouldn't it be a late road trip technically?" Simon gestured to the darkness around them. And Clary found herself laughing and soon Jordan, Alec and Maia all joined in. Jace snorted, in contempt, which was as close to laughing at a joke of Simon's.

Ever.

"You really are an idiot!" Maia huffed as Simon stuck out his tongue at her, his glasses were frosted from the transformation from the biting cold air of the outside to the warm inside air.

Clary turned to Jordan. "Are you sure you want to come?" She raised a hand before he could talk. "Keep in mind the moment you say yes there is no going back." She stared at him softly. "You could die."

"Isn't there no going back now?" Jordan raised an eyebrow at her, she thought she might burst in jealousy. "Besides where ever Maia goes," He wrapped an arm around her. "I go too."

Clary smiled, glancing at their gang of misfits. Suddenly the Island of Misfit toys came into her mind from Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer. "There will be no changing your mind, will there." She hadn't said it as a question because the way Jordan was staring at Maia, she had no doubt she was saying a statement.

"Nope," Jordan detangled himself from Maia and took Clary's hand. "Besides someone's gotta look out for you, Clare."

"She already has a whole team for that." Maia gestured to herself and the others.

"She has me! What more could she need?" Simon exclaimed.

"She would need an entire, highly trained, army." Jace said with a smirk as Simon threw him a scowl. "But you're in luck because I'm here. The real hero, you'll never need anything more. I'm both entertaining, good looking and trained; I'm the whole package."

"Well I think we all know there are never enough people to protect, Clary." Alec, ignored Jace and shared a laugh at Clary's expense with Maia as she smiled. "You obviously attract danger from what I've heard and seen."

"That's exactly why you shouldn't come." Clary said. "I don't need more blood on my hands." She looked at them each individually lingering on Jace. "None of you are going to budge are you?"

Simon lifted his fist and placed it in the center of the group. "All for one and one for all."

"We're going to have to come up with a better motivational phrase." Simon rolled his eyes at Maia, who smiled and laid her fist in the circle too.

"I'm in." Jordan laid his fist next to Maia's.

"It's not just a job anymore," Alec dropped his fist next to Simon's looking right at Clary. "I'm in this for you." He smiled. "That's what friends do, right?" It was a rhetorical question.

"Well, seeing as you're going to need my graceful fight skills and impeccable good looks," Jace smiled and dropped his hand next to Alec's. "I'm in."

They all looked at Clary and she never felt so lucky to have a group of friends like them. Smiling and biting her lip she spoke. "Well then pack your bags," Clary jammed her fist in-between Jordan's and Jace's. "We've got a book to find."

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**Review, Please!**


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